The Warrior Within
by TheDauntlessWitch
Summary: For Charlotte, the hardest thing for her to do in the zombie apocalypse is to talk to someone. Not surviving or scavenging for food, but socialising with people. Her shyness is her biggest flaw. But with this group that she is with, she can connect with the people and be a part of the family that is growing in the group.
1. The Beginning of the End

~Charlotte~

So…the apocalypse happened. And here I am in my next door neighbours car stuck on a highway trying to get into Atlanta with them. The fucked up thing is that we have been neighbours for my whole life and we have never spoken to each other. And they offered to give me a ride. And I gratefully accepted the kind offer.

Everything seems to feel darker now that the dead are walking around eating people. I would always look up at the night sky and count the stars, but as I am sitting by the cool window I cannot bring myself to look up into the darkness as I fear it will somehow give me nightmares.

Two children are sitting in the back of the car with me, both boys by the names of Alex and Tom. The driver is their father Daniel and in the passenger seat sits his wife Alice. I haven't really spoken to any of them, and I have acknowledged the fact that not speaking to them is probably classified as being rude, but I feel like if I talk it will come out as one noise, unable to form words. Therefore I continue to listen to my music and rest my head on the cool window.

We are not moving and we haven't moved for quite a while now. Maybe I should speak now? I take my head of the window, my forehead feels wet, I then proceed to open my mouth to speak, but Daniel talks before I get the chance.

"I think it's time we get out the car. Lots of people are out of their cars and I think we should talk to them."

I gulp. Socialising is my weakest spot. Daniel and Alice are already out of the car and helping Alex and Tom get out of their seats. I take off my headphones and let them hang around my neck. I open the door and hop out of the car. Alex and Tom are lucky they have their parents. Mine went on holiday to Spain without me. But I was happy that I would get the solitude. I can take care of myself, I'm seventeen.

Before I slam the door shut, I take out my large rucksack full of food, water and other supplies. I go round to the boot of the car to see that the four of them are gathered around talking.

Here's my chance to finally speak to them. "Thank you so much for letting me come with you." I tell them.

"Not a problem, sweetie. You can still tag along with us. We don't mind." Alice tells me. I nod in appreciation.

"I don't want to be a burden. I think I should go along on my own."

"Charlotte, I don't think that's a good idea with these…" Alice trails off, she clearly does not know what to call these things. "monsters…roaming around. You should stick with us."

I hesitate, not knowing what to do. Go alone, and probably die. Go in a group, and probably die.

I smile, "Thank you."

The family smile back at me. I look down at the boys. Everyone in the family are ginger, except for Alice, who has dirty blonde hair. Alex and Tom are eight and ten and they both look exactly the same.

I take off my black hoodie and tie it around my waist.

"Well," Daniel claps his hands together. "Who's hungry?"

Daniel and Alice are too kind to be human. Why haven't I had conversations with them before? They offer me to stay with them, give me food. I don't understand their kindness.

Tom and Alex are talking to two children, a girl and boy who I heard introduce themselves as Carl and Sophia. I am off in the distance watching Tom and Alex having a joyful conversation. Daniel and Alice are talking to two people called Shane and Lori. I presume that Sophia and Carl are their children.

I see Alice turn her head around to look at me, she gestures me to come over by using her head. I take a deep breath. Got to talk to someone soon. I shuffle my way over to the four of them.

"This is Charlotte." Alice introduces me to the two adults. I do a small wave with my right hand and a faint smile that I am pretty sure they didn't see.

The man introduces themselves, even though I already know their names as I heard it when they were introducing themselves to Alice and Daniel.

I look back at the four children who are now setting up a game of checkers.

"Are they your children?" I ask them.

"Carl is my son. Sophia's parents are over there." She tells me and points to a skinny woman with short hair and a large man who I feel uncomfortable about. I quickly divert my eyes away from the man and look back a Lori who is staring at Carl.

"And his dad?" I ask in my small voice.

"Dead." She breathes.

My heart stops when she says that word. That's probably what my parents are. Dead.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to my parents." I tell her sadly.

I look up at Shane. "I thought she was your kid."

I kind of felt hurt that he called me a kid. I'm no child.

"Charlotte lived next door to us. We offered her a ride. She was home alone, because her parents are on holiday. We saw her leave her house with a rucksack and suitcase and she started to walk down the street, all by herself. We drove up next to her and told her that she could come with us." Daniel tells them and I recall the moment.

There were dead people lying down on the pavement and I simply walked past them. I was shocked from an event that occurred in the house before I left. I didn't tell Daniel and Alice what had happened.

When I opened the front door of my house, one of those…things attacked me. Dropping the suitcase in shock, I had to do something. I refuse to die. It grabbed me and tried to sink its rotten teeth into me. I pushed it back, running for the kitchen. With a yank I pulled the drawer filled with utensils right out, the cutlery clattering on the tiled floor. The monster was still hungry and I was lucky it was just the one. I got on my knees and heard the groans of the monster coming closer.

I grabbed onto a sharp knife that I could plunge into the dead mans skull. It shuffled towards me and I stood up from the cold floor. It got close again and I held it by the neck. When I blinked, my knife was in its eye. Blood poured out of the socket and I yanked the sharp knife out from its head. Blood was on my hand that I used to hold the monsters neck, blood was splattered on my face and shirt.

I went upstairs into the bathroom, cleaned my face, changed my shirt, got a hold of my luggage and left.

The knife I used to kill my first dead is held my leather belt, ready to be used again.

"And I am grateful that they offered to give me the rid. I don't know what I was thinking, walking out there, prepared to face the world on my own. It's god that there are kind people in the world…" I tell Lori and Shane.

I somehow managed to stay with the four of them, having long conversations on what their plans are. Shane and Lori were talking about setting up a camp after seeing Atlanta was completely swarmed with infected and being destruction of the military installation.

"Shane thinks we should set up an outpost at the quarry. You're happy to join us." Lori informs us.

Daniel, Alice and I nod our heads, agreeing that a camp with a group is a good idea.

Tom, Alex, Sophia and Carl all come over, complaining that they are tired. Sophia's parents also come over.

"Mom, I'm hungry." He tells Lori.

"I know Carl, we all are."

"Why don't I get him something to eat then?" Sophia's mom said softly and walks over to her car and her husband follows.

I turn to Alice. "What are their names?" I ask in a whisper, somehow afraid that they will hear.

"That's Carol and…" her face turns solemn, "Ed."

I heard a car door slam, fear over came me form what Ed done to Carol. I could tell he was an abuser, the atmosphere around him screamed, "Don't come near, bitch."

Carol returns, "I must've forgotten to pack them." She informs Mrs Grimes.

"That's alright. I appreciate the offer." She replies.

I scratched the back of my head, feeling uncomfortable when Ed returned to the gathering.

"So, a camp, eh" Ed said.

We set up camp at the Quarry around a month ago and our group has become large.  
The camp was great, tents were pitched up, we had good, protection. It was a great place for us to stay. Hopefully nothing bad will happen. Atlanta was a no go, completely dangerous full of those walkers. The first people to join us was Dale, Andrea and Amy, all coming in with Dale's RV. The next to join our little establishment was Morales and his family. He had two kids who were Carl, Sophia, Tom and Alex's age. They were called Eliza and Louis. Jim came along by himself, but he didn't use to be like that. He had two sons and a wife, but they didn't make it. Then came along the ex-pizza delivery guy, Glenn and T-Dog and a woman called Jacqui who came in all by herself.

All of these people were friendly, but the two that I gotta keep my eyes on are the Dixon brothers. The youngest isn't bad, Daryl. He has a crossbow and it reminded me of my dad who use to always go out hunting with his bow. He use to teach me how to use one. Merle scares the crap out of me. He hits on every single woman here, even me.

I get on alright with everyone here, but I'm not close to anyone. The person that I have probably spoken to the most is Amy and Carl. Amy and I get on well and because we get on really well, I am sort of close to her sister Andrea. Carl and I are close because before he goes to bed I read him a chapter of Harry Potter. Right now we are on Chamber of Secrets. I am glad he is enjoying it, he hasn't read the books and has only seen one film.

We all use what we can to get by and to continue are daily routines. Glad I remembered my toothbrush and toothpaste. I enjoy watching Amy and Andrea fishing in the lake, they've told me that they use to fish all the time with their dad. I wash the clothes with the women, but I isolate myself from them, not wishing to speak and sit on a rock, listening to music. I am able to charge my iPod with a portable charger that uses batteries and I have a stock full of batteries. Amy tries to include me into conversations with the women, but I tend to say a sentence, then say no more.

I sit on a log by the unlit campfire, kicking stones with my feet, making irritating scratching noises, but I don't care if they annoy anyone. They didn't bother me as I was listening to music. Dale is up on his RV with a gun ready, looking for anything in his binoculars. Lori was cutting Carl's hair.

"Charlie," I look over at Amy. "Sh-h." Charlie is my nickname that the people here have started calling me.

I stick my tongue out at her, which is a childish thing to do, but oh well. I turn my head back round and direct my eyes at the blaring sun. The heat was radiating my body, filling me with warmth. I sigh.

I hear the sound of stones scratching over my music and felt a presences next to me, blocking the sun.

I open them to see Glenn standing above me. He moves his mouth and I hear soft murmurs. I remove my headphones.

"Excuse me?"

"How are you?"

"I'm good." I reply, proceeded by an awkward silence. I clear my throat, "You?"

"Yep, I'm good."

I laugh, "Good."

He laughs too, but it stops and a longer awkward silence follows.

"Well, I gotta get going. Heading off to Atlanta. Wanna tag along?"

"Nah, I'm good. Don't really know how to shoot. Probably best that I stay here."

"Come on. You should come with us."

"Who's going? Andrea, Morales, T-Dog, Jacqui, Merle." I groan when I hear his name. Everyone hates him.

"Don't like him."

"I didn't think a girl as shy as you is meant to hate."

"I am entitled to my opinions on things and people."

"What are your opinions on me?" He asks.

My heart stops, then beats really really fast. What are my opinions on Glenn…? "I guess we shall see. I'll go to Atlanta."

~Glenn~

Shane doesn't trust Charlie. He goes on about how she is probably putting on an act with her lack of confidence and how she will probably slit our throats whilst we sleep. Nice thought. But everyone knows that she wont hurt a fly.

Shane wanted me to talk to her to try and get her to come to Atlanta. I didn't have to try that hard. Easily persuaded.

I walk over to Shane who is sitting with Carl.

"Charlie is gonna go to Atlanta." I say. I don't want her to go. She probably is a strong girl, but I don't think that she is.

He looks up at me. "That's good." He wants her to go to see if I can find out things about her. I have a feeling that she wont open up.

"I'll go tell the others."

~Charlotte~

Glenn left to go speak to Shane. He distrusts me and I distrust him. I don't know why. When I first met him he was alright. Guess something changed his opinion.

I want to kick myself for telling Glenn that I would go to Atlanta. I turn to look at him, he is with Shane, but walks off towards T-Dog. Crap. He's gonna tell people that I am coming. I will be a burden to them. Why did he offer for me to come? Maybe he is gonna kill me when I am there? Is that why he went to talk to Shane?

Stop. You're being paranoid.

I scratch my forehead, regretting my choices.

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**Would you kindly review this story? The next chapter will be posted soon! Thank you for reading.**


	2. A City Full of Dumb Asses

**Thank you for the reviews on my first chapter! And thank you for the follows and the favourite. In all the stories I have posted, I have never got a follow or a favourite, so I was so happy to see that I got some on this. And on my first chapter of this story too! Anyway...enough jabbering. Enjoy!**

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~Charlotte~

"Hey, you? Dumb ass. Hey, you in the tank. Cozy in there?" Glenn says to the radio. Been in Atlanta for a while and I am not dead yet. Achievement. We spotted a guy on a horse coming into the city. The horse got eaten and my heart somehow felt like it melted when I saw the geeks biting into the animals flesh. The guy in the cops uniform crawled under the tank and got in by using the latch underneath the tank. He stuck his head out of the latch at the top of the tank and the geeks start to converge on the tank, but he shut the latch just in time. I wanted Glenn to speak to him, I would've felt guilty if we left him there. If I wasn't here I am sure he still would've spoken to him over the radio.

I take the radio from Glenn, bracing myself to talk to speak. "Hey, are you still alive?" I ask in my quiet and shy voice and hope that I hear the mans voice on the other side. I hold my breath and wait for his voice.

"Hello? Hello?" I let out a long breath in relief when I hear is voice.

"There you are. You had me wondering." I reply.

"Where are you? Outside? Can you see me right now."

"Yeah, we can see you. You're surrounded by walkers." I sigh. "That's the bad news."

"There's a good news."

There's a pause. "No…" I tell him

"Listen, whoever you are, I don't mind telling you that I'm a little concerned in here." He tells us.  
Glenn takes a hold of the radio. "Oh man. You should see it from over here. You'd be having a major freak-out."

"Got any advice for me?"

I take back the radio. "I'd say make a run for it and hope for the best." I tell him. I am surprised that I am talking this much to a stranger. It seems easier that I can't see him and he isn't making eye-contact with me. Eye-contact is uncomfortable.

"That's it? 'Make a run for it?'"

"Hey! My way isn't as dumb as it sounds. You've got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still up on the tank , but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. With me so far?"

"So far."

"Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now while they're distracted, you stand a chance. Got ammo?" Please say yes. Please say yes.

"In that duffel bag I dropped out there," I see the bag. Nope. Not a chance. "and guns. Can I get to it?"

"Forget the bag, okay? It's not an option. What do you have on you?"

"Hang on."

I look at Glenn. He seems shocked that I have spoken so much. He probably hasn't seen me speak this much. I smile a big cheeky grin, showing my teeth, something I feel like I haven't done in awhile.

"Yeah. Yeah. I've got a Beretta with one clip, fifteen rounds."

"Make 'em count. Jump off the right side of the tank and keep on going in that direction. There's an alley up the street. Maybe fifty yards, I guess. Be there." I tell him.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Have you been listening? You're running out of time." I say to him, feeling slightly irritated, but also fearing for his life.

"Right."

Suddenly, the unknown man jumps out of the tank and grabs something, whacking a geek that was about to get him and makes a run for the destination I told him to get to.

As Glenn and I are making our way to the alley we hear gunshots. Getting closer. We climb down the ladder to get to the alley, me running at the front, Glenn at the back. As I turn a corner the man is there, making me jump and immediately shout, "Whoa! Not dead! Come on! Come on!" The three of us start running down the alley, reaching the ladder that Glenn and I came down not too long ago.

I climb first, then Glenn, followed by the stranger. Walkers almost get us.

I'm up, followed by Glenn.

"Come on, get up." Glenn tells the cop. We are panting, gathering air into our lungs. It feels great to feel the cool air enter my lungs. The cop comes up the ladder and stands next to Glenn.

"Nice moves there. Who are you? Clint Eastwood? You the new sheriff come riding in to clean up the town?" I say, this makes Glenn chuckle.

"It wasn't my intention." He said, I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Yeehaw. You're still a dumb ass."

"Rick. Thanks." he introduces himself.

"I swear you were incapable of speaking that much." Glenn looks at me.

I give a short laugh. "If you need to help a guy out in a bad situation you need to talk."

I look at the cop. He looks like he is in his late thirties, clean shaven, sweaty face, dark brown hair, fairly tall and has a slim figure.

"Charlotte." I tell him my name.

"Glenn. You're welcome. Oh no." Glenn says looking down. I do so too. A crap ton of walkers are down in the alley, reaching out like they can grab us, but we are no where near them. "The bright side: It'll be the fall that kills us. I'm a glass half full kind of guy."

When we got to the roof, I stare at the blue sky, not a fluffy white cloud to be seen. The sky seems completely still, with the sun beating down on us.

"Are you the one that barricaded the alley?"

"Somebody did…I guess when the city got overrun. Whoever did it was thinking that not many geeks would get through."

"Back at the tank, why'd you stick you neck out for me." I look away from the sky and at Rick, who is looking at me.

I am suddenly incapable of speaking again. I feel my heart racing and I feel like I'll puke if I open my mouth. All the confidence that was in me not too long ago has been sucked out of me.

"Call it foolish," Glenn answers for me. "naïve hope that if I'm ever that far up the shit creek, somebody might do the same for me. Guess I'm a bigger dumb ass than you."

We take another ladder and go down that leads to the store.

"We're back. We gotta guest, plus four geeks in the alley."

We go down another staircase to a door where two geeks appear. Morales and T-Dog come bursting out of the door wearing their protective get-up and pummel the geeks brains out with weapons.

"Let's go." Glenn shouts and we make our way into the store

Behind me I hear Morales calling for T-Dog to get a move on. They follow behind us when they are finished smashing their brains in.

When we get in, Rick immediately has a gun pointed in between his eyes

"You son of a bitch. We ought to kill you."

"Just chill out, Andrea. Back off.

"Come on. Ease up." Jacqui tells her. I stand next to Glenn, frozen up. Don't kill him.

"Ease up? You're kidding me, right? We're dead because of this stupid asshole."

"Andrea, I said back the hell off."

Fortunately she lets go of Rick. Great first introduction. She looks like she is about to cry. "We're dead…all of us…because of you."

"I don't understand." Rick says.

"Look, we came into the city to scavenge supplies. You know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving! You know the key to surviving? Sneaking in and out, tiptoeing. Not shooting up the streets like it's the O.K. Corral." Morales tells him, and I start to feel bad for Rick.

"Every geek for miles around heard you popping off rounds." T-Dog says, not making anything better.

"You just rang the dinner bell." Andrea inputs.

"Get the picture now." Morales says.

I hear growling and face where the sound was coming from. Geeks are trying to smash their way into the store, one is even holding a brick, something I thought they couldn't do. The brick wielding one uses it to try and smash open the window.

"Oh God." Andrea breathes. "What the hell were you doing out there anyway?"

"Trying to flag the helicopter." Rick informs us and I let out a short laugh. Helicopter?

"Helicopter? Man, that's crap. Ain't no damn helicopter."

"You were chasing a hallucination, imagining things." Jacqui tells Rick.

"It happens." I murmur.

"I saw it." He says looking at me and I bite the inside of my mouth, feeling awkward. I look down so I don't have to look in his eyes.

"Hey, T-Dog, try that C.B. Can you contact the others?"

"Others? The refugee centre?"

"Yeah, the refugee centre. They've got biscuits waiting at the oven for us." I say under my breath, still looking down at the floor. I feel their eyes on me, so I look up and find that they are.

T-Dog is trying to get in touch with the camp, but there is no signal. "Maybe the roof."

Just as he says that, guns start firing.

"Oh no. Is that Dixon?" Andrea says.

"What is that maniac thinking?"

"Come on. Let's go." Glenn tells them.

"I hate Merle." I say in a whisper to no one as we head off to the roof.

When we get to the roof we see Merle Dixon shooting geeks on the street below with his sniper rifle, which I wish he didn't have.

"Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?!" T-Dog shouts.

Dixon laughs it off and continues to kill the geeks. We start running across the building to get him to stop.

"Oh jeez." I hear Andrea say.

Merle finally stops. "Hey! Y'all be more polite to a man with a gun! Huh? Ah! Only common sense." He says, showing off the gun.

"Man, you wasting bullets we ain't even got!" T-Dog yells at him, anger boiling inside of him.

Merle laughs again in his manic way.

"And you're bringing even more of them down on our ass! Man, just chill!"

"Hey! Bad enough I've got this taco-bender on my ass all day. Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so, bro. That'll be the day."

"'That'll be the day'? You got something you want to tell me." I wish T-Dog left it at that, because stuff like this ends up in a fight.

"Hey, T-Dog, just leave it." I tell him.

"No." He says to me and I truly wish he left it then and there.

"Alright? It ain't worth it. Now, Merle, just relax, okay? We've got enough trouble." Morales tries to reason with him.

"You want to know the day?" Merle begins. "I'll tell you the day, Mr 'Yo'. It's the day I take orders from a nigger."

Crossed the line. T-Dog snapped and I don't blame him.

"Mother…"

Merle and T-Dog start to brawl each other and I cant stand it. I turn my back to them, not wanting to see the fight and hug myself, listening to them have a go at each other.

"Come on, Dixon!" Andrea and everyone else try to break them apart, but I continue to look over the edge of the building.

I cautiously turn around and see T-Dog on the floor with Merle beating the crap out of him, suddenly Merle pulls a pistol out and then holds it on T-Dog.

"No!" My scream cuts through the air and Merle looks at me. Everyone waits…

"Yeah! Alright! We're gonna have ourselves a little powwow, huh? Talk about who's in charge. I vote me. Anybody else? Huh? Democracy time, y'all. Show of hands, huh? All in favour? Huh? Come on let's see 'em. Oh, come on. All in favour." We start to put up our hands before he does anything crazy. "Yeah. That's good. Now that means I'm the boss, right? Yeah. Anybody else? Hmmm? Anybody"

At this time I think everyone forgot about Rick. It came to such a shock when Merle was hit across the head with a metal pipe.

Everyone starts to breathe and calm down when Merle is handcuffed to a pipe on the roof.

"Who the hell are you, man?!" He yells at Rick, wanting answers.

"Officer friendly." I smirk at that comment. "Look here, Merle. Things are different now. There are no niggers anymore. No dumb-as-shit, inbred white-trash fools either. Only dark meat and white meat. there's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together, not apart."

"Screw you, man!"

"I can see you make a habit of missing the point." Rick states.

"Yeah? Well, screw you twice."

"Ought to be polite to a man with a gun." Rick repeats his words as he cocks his gun. Gosh, he seems so intimidating right now.

"You wouldn't." Merle remarks. "You're a cop."

"All I am, anymore is a man looking for his wife and son. Anybody that gets in the way of that is gonna lose. I'll give you a moment to think about that. Got some one your nose there." Yep, definitely intimidating.

"What're you gonna do? Arrest me?" He jokes, laughing at his words.

Rick picks up Merles stuff. "Hey! What are you doing? Man, that was my stuff! Hey! If I get loose, you'd better pray…Yeah, you hear me, you pig? You hear me!?" He shouts at Rick in a violent manner, shaking the handcuffs.

"Yeah, your voice carries."

"Do you hear me, you filthy pig!?"

Rick walks up to Morales, "You're not Atlanta P.D. Where are you from?" Morales asks him as I walk closer to the two men.

"Up the road a ways." Rick states.

"Well, officer friendly from up the road a ways, welcome to the city." I tell him as I smile. 

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**Would you kindly review? Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it! **


	3. Playing Dead

~Charlotte~

Time passes and we are still stuck on the roof with T-Dog trying to get a signal to contact our camp. Everyone is practically looking over the edge of the roof, glaring down at the geeks in the street below except for T-Dog who is sitting down, staring at Merle. My chocolate brown hair is being pushed into my eyes and tickles my ears by the gentle warm wind.

I give this time to think about what is probably happening back at camp. I wonder if everyone is alright…Alice…Daniel…Tom and Alex. The rest of the kids…Amy? Dale? Did camp get attacked? I need to stop thinking like this, I feel blood rushing to my head as thoughts overcome my brain.

"My God, it's like Times Square down there." said Andrea, who stands right next to me and I cant help to think that that is a perfect description of the chaos down there.

"How's the signal?" Morales asks T-Dog.

"Like Dixon's brain…weak." And I cant help but laugh out loud at the comment made by T-Dog. I turn my head around to look at Merle to see his reaction and he slowly puts his middle finger up to T-Dog.

"Keep trying."

"Why?" I mutter. Again, I feel eyes on me. Why do I talk when I don't want to? Words slip out of my mouth and I immediately regret them, even if they are not bad. "There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing." I shake my head.

"Got some people outside the city is all. There's no refugee centre. That's a pipe dream."

"Then she's right." Rick speaks up. "We're on our own. It's up to us to find a way out."

"Great…" I sigh.

"Good luck with that. These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear. Ain't that right sugar tits?" He starts talking to Andrea. Great, perfect timing to be hitting on the ladies. And Merle has a great way of doing it. "Hey, honey bunch, what say you get me out of these cuffs, we go off somewhere and bump some uglies? Gonna die anyway." At first I think, what does he mean by 'bump some uglies', but seeing as it's Merle, it's going to be something dirty.

"I'd rather." Andrea replies.

"Rub muncher. I figured as much."

I decide to ignore Merle and what he is saying to Andrea and listen into the discussion that the rest of the group are having.

"The streets ain't safe. Now there's an understatement." I hear Morales say.

"What about under the streets? The sewers?" Rick asks, thinking outside the box. Good idea.

"Oh man. Hey Glenn!" Morales calls Glenn over. "check the alleyway. You see any manhole covers?" Glenn jogs over to the side of the roof where the alleyway would be.

I continuously stare at him and his actions, he shakes his head. "No, must be all out on one street, where the geeks are."

"Maybe not." Jacqui speaks up. "Old buildings like this built in the twenties…big structures often had draining tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the subbasements." I stare at her, amazed by the knowledge.

"How do you know that?" I ask her.

"It's my job…was" she said sadly. "I worked in the city zoning office." And in that moment I wonder what would of happened if Jacqui didn't come with us.

I feel bad for T-Dog, having to stay up on the roof with Merle as we go to the stores basement. It didn't take long to reach there and get to the sewage entrance that we all gather around.

"This is it?" Morales questions.

"I really scoped this place out the other times I was here. It's the only thing in the building that goes down. But I've never gone down it. Who'd want to, right?" Glenn said.

He shouldn't of said that last bit. Everyone looks at him, all thinking the same thing.

"Oh. Great."

"Sorry." I apologies to him.

"We'll be right behind you." Andrea reassures him.

"No, you won't. Not you."

"Why not me? Think I can't?" She said, sounding offended.

"I wasn't…"

"Speak your mind." Rick tells him.

"Look, until now I always came here by myself. In and out, grab a few things. No problem. The first time I bring a group everything goes to hell. No offence. If you want me to go down this gnarly hole, fine…but only if we do it my way. It's tight down there. If I run into something and have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me getting me killed. I'll take one person. Not you either." He says to Rick. "You've got Merles gun and I've seen you shoot. I'd feel better if you were out in that store watching those doors, covering our ass. And you've got the only other gun, so you should go with him. You be my wingman" He tells Morales. "Jacqui stays here. Something happens, yell down to us, get us back up here in a hurry." He then looks at me. "You can go with Rick, cover us."

I nod at this, something I feel comfortable with. Plus, Rick most likely will kill the walkers before I have to. I haven't killed one since the start of all this, when I left my house.

"Okay."

"Everyone knows their jobs." said Rick.

We all split up and I follow Rick.

I stand by a empty shelf, thinking of all the things that use to occupy it. Looters probably took the stuff. I can hear Andrea and Rick talking to each other, but I can't be asked to listen, no matter how interesting their conversation may be.

I stroll around the store, with my gun in my hand, ready to pull the trigger if anything bad happen.

"Oh." I look at Andrea, who has spotted some jewellery, so has Rick.  
I walk over to Andrea. I get to her side and see that she is admiring a mermaid necklace on the counter.  
"See something you like?" Rick asks her.  
"Not me. But I know someone who would. My sister." Amy, I immediately agree that she would like it, as we once had a conversation on all things magical. "She's still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns. Dragons. She's into all that stuff. But mermaids. They rule. She loves mermaids." I remember when Amy and I were talking about what was better, dragons or mermaids. I sided with the dragon, and she stuck with the mermaid.

"Why not take it?" Rick asks her.

"There's a cop staring at me." She tells him and looks up at him.

Rick and I chuckle.

"Would it be considered looting?" She asks.  
"I don't think those rules apply anymore. Amy would love it." I tell her, but the moment is ruined when the sound of a waterfall of shattered glass hit's the floor. I look up at the windows and walkers start to walk in.

Glenn and Morales join us. "What did you find down there?" Rick asks them.

Say you found a way out. We need to leave and fast.

"Not a way out."

"Crap." I sigh.

"We need to find a way. And soon."

Back on the roof I spot a construction site close by with trucks that we could escape in.

"Rick." I say, looking around at him. He looks at me and I point to the construction site. He comes by my side and looks at the construction site.

"That construction site, those trucks…they always keep keys on hand."

"You'll never make it past the walkers." Morales tells him.

"You got me out of the tank."

"Yeah, but they were feeding. They were distracted." Glenn says.

"Can we distract them again?"

"Right. Listen to him. He's to him. He's onto something. A diversion, like on 'Hogan's Heroes.'" Merle speaks up. I really didn't need to hear his voice. One word from him makes me clench my fists.

"God. Give it a rest." I mutter.

"They're drawn by sound, right?" Rick looks at Glenn.

"Right, like dogs. They hear a sound, they come." Glenn replies.

"What else?" Rick asks, sounding hopeful.

"Aside from they hear you? They see you, smell you and if they catch you they eat you." Morales tells him.

"They can tell us by smell?" He asks in confusion.

"Can't you?" Glenn asks.

"They smell dead, we don't. It's pretty distinct." Andrea finally speaks up.

Rick looks up, eyes sparkling. It's like I can see the light bulb light up above his head.

Rick is handing each one of us outfits to wear. White trench coats that looked like lab coats.

I was shaking. I didn't like this idea. Why did I go to Atlanta in the first place?

"If bad ideas were an Olympic even, this would take the gold." Glenn inputs. I swing on the heels of my feet, holding onto the trench coat that Rick handed to me.

"He's right. Just stop, okay? Take some time to think this through." Morales clearly also thinking this idea was plain stupid and suicidal.

"How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won't hold forever."

I didn't go outside whilst the others went to go get a walker from outside. They dragged in the dead male, blood smearing and staining the floor.

Rick holds a fire axe in his hands and everyone is putting on the coats so they don't get guts on our clothes. I am not prepared to be smothered in blood and the insides of what used to be an alive human being.

Rick is about to make his first chop at the dead man, but stops at the last minute. He bends down and searches the dead man, pulling up a wallet.

He starts to go through it, "Wayne Dunlop. Georgia license. Born in 1979. He had twenty sight dollars in his pocket when he died…" Everything is quiet. "And a picture of a pretty girl. 'With love, from Rachel.' He used to be like us." He says looking up at us with sad eyes. "Worrying about bills or the rent or the Super Bowl. If I ever find my family, I'm gonna tell them about Wayne."

"One more thing…" we all look at Glenn. "He was an organ donor."

The moment of silence continues, but is soon ruined by the sound of an axe going into Wayne Dunlop's corpse. I groan and gag and everyone does the same.

"Madre de Dios!"

"Oh."

"Dios!"

"Oh God."

"Keep chopping." Rick says to Morales, handing him the bloody axe. I put my arm in front of my mouth, thinking that it will stop me from being sick.

"I am so gonna hurl." Glenn says and I nod in agreement.

"Later." Rick comments on Glenn.

Morales starts to hack away and I hunch over, prepared to vomit on the floor.

"Everybody got gloves? Don't get any on your skin or in your eyes."

Then before I know it, I am being rubbed down in Wayne's insides.

"Oh God. Oh jeez. Oh this is bad. This is really bad…" I murmur, my stomach starts to churn. Nope, not good, I feel like I am definitely going to be sick.

"Think about something else." He tells me as Glenn grabs some intestines and rubs it on my arms. "Puppies and kittens." I try to think about the cute creatures.

"Dead puppies and kittens." said T-Dog.

And…I'm gone. I throw up on the floor, being sick is something I haven't done in a while and I wanted to keep it that way, because I really hate throwing up.

"That is evil. What is wrong with you?" Andrea asks T-Dog.

"Next time let the cracker beat his ass." I hear Jacqui say. I stand up straight and I hear my back click.

"I'm sorry, yo."

"You suck." I say.

"Do we smell like them?" Rick asks.

"Oh yeah." Andrea replies.

"Good. This better work." I say.

"If we make it back, be ready."

"What about Merle Dixon?"

Rick tosses him the handcuff key, which he catches.

"Give me the axe." Rick says to Morales, extending his hand. When it's in his hands we says: "We need more guts." And proceeds to chop again and I feel like I will hurl again. And if I do, I will aim it at Rick for making me do this.

We walk out, almost covered head to toe in blood and guts, tears threaten to come out my eyes because I am so bloody terrified. I shuffle slowly and so does Rick. I hold the crowbar close to my chest.

Just follow his lead and you should be fine.

We manage to walk past two walkers that were too close to us. I briefly made eye-contact with the walkers. I'm uncomfortable with making eye-contact with living humans, so I was petrified when I looked into the dead eyes of a human. They didn't suspect a thing, they could smell the dead on us. Hope rises inside of me.

Rick and I get to a bus that we have to crawl under. When we came out, I wanted to crawl back under. A huge hoard of walkers were waiting for us.

I carefully make my way past the dead, shuffling my feet, keeping my arms loose.

Please don't eat us.

We are progressing our way through the hoard. "It's gonna work. I cant believe it." I whisper to him, being quiet is something I have mastered.

"Don't draw attention." He whispers back.

Thunder then starts to rumble above us. Not good. Thunder means rain. I look up at the sky that use to be blue, not a cloud there. The sky is now grey, sombre. Full of sadness.

The rain then starts to fall.

I try not to panic and I can see that Rick is trying not to freak-out either. We continue to walk at our pace. I start getting cold and wet. I look down at my coat, the guts are starting to wash off.

The walkers start to get whiffs of life radiating from us. They start to become more aggressive, but I try to ignore, which is probably one of the most hardest things I have ever had to do.

"The smell…it's…it's washing off, isn't it?"

"No. It's not." Rick reassures me. "Well, maybe." Okay, so much for that.

As we continue to walk, the walkers indeed start to realise that we are in fact alive. And they are probably smelling our delicious flesh that they can't wait to devourer.

One starts to charge and I make a small squeaking noise, absolutely terrified that I will die here, but Rick smashes its skull in with his axe.

"Run!" He yells at me. And I don't think twice.

I am reluctant to kill walkers with the crowbar in my hand, but when a female gets to close, I whack it across the head, making a sharp snapping noise before collapsing. I can hear Rick killing many and I kill two. All I can hear are groans, moans and heavy rain falling around us.

We are getting so close to the fence. It's almost in our reach. I toss my crowbar right over the fence and Rick does the same with his axe. I grab onto the fence and push myself up. I climb as fast as I can and so does Rick. I jump down and grab my crowbar.

I start my hurried search for the keys of the truck, whilst Rick is putting down geeks with Merles pistol who are attempting to climb over the fence. I find the keys.

"Rick!" I shout and chuck them to Rick.

We both enter the truck simultaneously and I look out the front window to see walkers climbing over the fence, running after us. Rick puts the keys in the ignition and one of the geeks get to my window and starts to try and break it.

"Go go go go go go!"

And the two of us speed away before the walkers catch up to us.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. They're all over that place."

"You need to draw them away. Those roll-up doors at the front of the store…that area? That's what I need cleared. Raise your friends. Tell them to get down there and be ready." Rick tells me. I feel completely lost.

"And I'm drawing the geeks away how? I seemed to have missed that part."

"Noise."

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**Would you kindly review this chapter? I hope you think its good and I hope you enjoyed it!**


	4. A Family Reunion

~Charlotte~

Rick could see my face lit up when we pulled up next to a red sports car.

"Holy crap." I turn to look at Rick like he was Santa Claus.

Rick smashed the windows and the alarms started to go off. I didn't care about the situation I was about to be placed in. I couldn't wait to drive this car!

I got in and I drove off towards the store in a car I never thought I would ever drive. The benefits of being in a apocalypse.

I told the group to go to the roll-up doors at the font of the store that was facing the street.

I was having a blast, attracting the walkers. The speed of the car was so fast, I tried not to get carried away.

"Woo!" I scream. "Come on. Come on. Get closer. Get closer."

I pull up to the store in the sports car and manage to lure the majority of them away from the store. Thanks to me, Rick will have a chance to pull up in his truck and get the group.

I manage to drive around the streets of Atlanta without crashing, I find a CD, not bothering what it is and put it in. The alarms keep on ringing and the wind blows through the car. I get to the highway and see the truck ahead of me.

I scream loud from the rush of the driving down the highway this fast.

"Whoo-hoo-hoo! Yeah-hoo-hoo!"

Never have I felt so alive.

I'm getting close to the camp, I remember the way. I'm so far ahead of the truck, the alarm keeps going on and on, bouncing off the mountains.

I wonder if the guys at the camp can hear this. My heart starts to slow down and the adrenaline stops running through my system.

I spot the RV, with Dale looking through binoculars at the sports car I'm in.

I drive in and step on the brakes, something I didn't want to do. I wanted to continue my drive.

I jump out the car, wave at the people gathered round and shout, "Hello!" loudly as they probably can't hear from the car alarm

"Holy crap. Turn that damn thing off." Dale tells me.

"I don't know how." I say covering my ears, a smile still plastered on my face.

Everyone is walking towards me. I remove my hands from my ears and her Shane bellowing at me to pop the hood.

Then Amy comes along and starts asking me questions on her sister.

"Pop the damn hood!" Shane shouts.

I open up the hood and Shane runs to pull out the battery.

The battery turns off and I hear a ringing in my ears.

"Is she coming back?" Amy questions.

"Yes, yeah! Everybody is. Well, Merle not so much."

"Are you crazy!?" Shane shouts at me. I start to feel my shyness coming back over me. "Are you trying to draw every walker for miles?"

"Yeah, course I am Shane."

"I think we are okay." Dale tells Shane.

"You call being stupid okay?"

"It wasn't my idea to drive in it."

"The alarm was echoing all over these hills. Hard to pinpoint the source. I'm not arguing. I'm just saying. It wouldn't hurt you to think things through a little more carefully next time, would it?" said Dale.

"Sorry." I look around at everyone. "Got a cool car."

Just as I say that, the truck arrives.

The first one to get out is Andrea.

"Amy."

"Andrea!" the two sisters run up to each other and hug. "Oh my god. You scared the shit out of me."

"Papi! Daddy!"

"Hey! Come here sweetie. Hey, I told you I'd be back, didn't I?" Morales says.

I look at Daniel, Alice, Tom and Alex and I give a small wave to them and they return it.

"You are a welcome sight." I hear Dale say to Morales, and they both give each other a hug. "I thought we had lost you folks for sure."

"How'd y'all get out of there anyway?" Shane questions.

"New guy." Glenn tells him.

"He got us out." I add.

"New guy?" Shane looks puzzled.

"Yeah, crazy Vato just got into town, Hey, helicopter boy! Come say hello!" Morales calls Rick who gets out of the truck.

"The guy's a cop. Like you." I state.

Rick walks up to us and I look at Shane. When his eyes hit him, I cannot explain the emotions that show on his face. I look at Carl who was talking to Lori. When Carl looks at Rick, I then stare at Rick.

Now I'm confused.

"Oh my God." Rick says. Carl runs up to him shouting, "Dad! Dad!" Rick takes his son in his arms, both of them are crying. Even I feel tears in my eyes of the family reuniting, but they do not fall.

"Carl, oh!"

Rick places a kiss on Carl's cheek and approaches Lori giving her a hug.

I stare around at everyone, who look very happy to see a family coming together. I remember when I first met Lori and she told me about her husband. Dead.

Nope. He is clearly, very much alive.

I envy the family that are now hugging, as this is something I cannot do with my mother and father ever again. The tears that were threatening to fall out trickle down my cheeks, but I am crying because I will never see my parents. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for Rick, Carl and Lori reuniting, but that is something I will never do with my family as they are on another country or dead or a walker.

Glenn comes by my side. "Wow. Lucky we got him out of that tank-" he then looked at me, and the tears rolling down my cheeks. "Are those tears of joy? Or are you sad?"

"It's hard to say. I am feeling too many emotions at the moment. Both I guess." I look at him, I've only just noticed that he is a little taller then me, but only just. "I wish I could see my parents. Or at least know what happened to them." I say in my mousey voice.

He faces turns solemn. "Well, at least you are alive. If you weren't, then maybe this family wouldn't have returned."

I smile at that. Maybe he's right. I use the palm of my sweaty hand to wipe away the warm tears. "Don't tell anyone I was crying." I whisper, and look around to see if anyone saw that I was already.

"Disorientated." Rick says. "I guess that comes closest. Disorientated. Fear, confusion and all those things, it comes closest." Everyone was gathered around the campfire that was illuminating the night sky, but Ed, Carol and Sophia had a separate fire.

Rick had his arms around Lori, and Carl was laying on them both.

"Words can be meager things," Dale said. "sometimes they mean short."

The night was cold and I had my knees up to my chest and I was hugging my legs to keep me warm, as unlike the Grimes family, I have no one to cuddle to give me warmth.

"I felt like I'd been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else. For a while I thought I was trapped in some coma dream, something I might not wake up from ever."

"I wish it were all a dream." I mutter silently to myself.

"Mom said you died." Carl said, looking up at his dad. Lori stared at Rick, a frightening look took a hold of her face.

Yeah, I was wondering why she said that.

"She had every reason to believe that. Don't you ever doubt it."

"When things started to get really bad, they told me at the hospital that they were gonna medevac you and the other patients to Atlanta, and it never happened." Lori said.

"Well, I'm not surprised after Atlanta fell."

"Yeah." Lori breathes.

"And from the look of that hospital, it got overrun." Rick states.

"Yeah, looks don't deceive. I barely got them out, you know?" Shane finally starts to talk.  
"I cant tell you how grateful I am to you, Shane. I cant begin to express it."

"There go those words falling short again. Paltry things." Dale said.

At the fire that Carol, Ed and Sophia were at everyone sees Ed put a logo on the fire. I immediately feel like I should open my mouth to speak, but I think otherwise. And besides Shane already beat me to it.

"Hey, Ed, you want to rethink that log?" he asks him.

"It's cold, man."

What an idiot. I feel so sorry for Carol and Sophia.

"Cold don't change the rules don't it? Keep our fires low, just so we can't be seen from a distance." Yeah, walkers or bandits could see us and overrun the camp, which is shockingly something that we do not want.

"I said it's cold." Ed snaps. " You should mind your own business for once."

Shane stood up from our fire and it looks like T-Dog was about to stop him from doing anything rash, but thought otherwise. He walked over to their fire and crouched down near Sophia.

"Hey, Ed…are you sure you want to have this conversation, man?" What is it with guys and saying 'man'.

"Go on. Pull the damn thing out. Go on!" he shouts at Carol.

Carol then stands up, absolutely petrified of her husband and what he will do if she doesn't do what he tells her. She pulls the log out of the fire and all eyes are on her as she does it.

"Christ." Shane murmurs and stomps on the log to put out the flames.

"Hey, Carol, Sophia, how are y'all this evening?" Shane asks them.

Carol answers for them by saying that they are fine.

"Okay."

Carol then apologises about the fire.

"No no no. No apology needed. Y'all have a good night, okay?" Yeah full of beatings from an abusive asshole.

"Thank you."

"I appreciate the cooperation." Shane finally says before returning to our group.

"Have you given any though to Daryl Dixon?" Dale asks and my heart stops beating at the thought of him and what has happened to his brother. "He wont be happy to hear his brother was left behind."

"I'll tell him. I dropped the key. It's on me." T-Dog said.

"I cuffed him. That makes it mine." Rick inputs.

"Maybe…I should do it. He might feel less inclined to go on a rampage if a girl tells him." I say my thoughts out loud and everyone looks at me.

Glenn shakes his head. "Guys, it's not a competition. I don't mean to bring race or sexes into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy."

"I did what I did. Hell if I'm gonna hide from him." said T-Dog.

"We could lie." Amy says next to me.

"Or tell the truth. Merle was out of control. Something had to be done or he'd have gotten us killed. Our husband did what was necessary." Andrea says looking at Lori. "And if Merle got left behind, it is nobodies fault but Merle's."

"And that is what we tell Daryl?" Dale questions. "I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you? Word to the wise…we're gonna have our hands full when he gets back from his hunt." And thank God that he is hunting right now.

"I was scared and I ran. I'm not ashamed of it." T-Dog said.

"We were all scared. We all ran. What's your point?" Andrea asks him.

"I stopped long enough to chain that door. Staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks can squeeze against is at any one time. It's not enough to break through that. Not that chain. Not that padlock. My point…Dixon's alive and he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us."

I was the first to excuse myself from the fire pit, heading off to my small tent that I sleep in all by myself. And I don't mind sleeping in that tent by myself.

I strip down into my underwear and quickly put on my pyjamas as I am afraid someone will come through the tents zip and see me in my underwear. I first put on my black leggings, then my baggy white shirt that comes down to almost my knees.

Normally, I would read to Carl before he goes to bed, but the fact that his dad is here made me think otherwise as he would most likely want to spend his time with his dad.

I get out my small book from my rucksack. A thin purple book called The Guardians by John Christopher and start to read.

My eyes start to feel droopy, so I know it's time for me to go to sleep soon. I can hear the others from outside, the fire still crackling and thunder rumbling from above. I look at the page number of the book. Fifty seven. And I hope I can remember I can remember that page for tomorrow to continue my read.

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**Would you kindly review my story/follow it? Please! I hope you are enjoying it so far. **


	5. A Typical Laundry Day

~Rick~

Thanks to Glenn and Charlie, I am reunited with Lori and Carl. I cannot describe the emotions that ran through me when my eyes set on them when I came out of the truck. When the sun comes up in the morning I need to thank them both.

Charlie really is something. When she was talking to me on the radio, she sounded like this confident who was really determined to save my life. Then when I came face to face with the green eyed brunette, she was nothing like I expected. Whenever I looked at her, her focus was always the floor.

When everyone was gathered around the fire, she offered to tell Daryl about what had happened to his brother. I haven't learnt a lot about her, but then again she is shy. I have learnt that she cares about others, that was shown when she helped me out of the tank and also when she offered to tell Daryl about Merle, even though she wasn't the one who got him in that situation. She is also an emotional girl, screaming when T-Dog was getting beaten by Merle and when she was crying when we made it back to the camp. I don't know why she was crying, but I saw her and she was trying to hide it, but not very well.

No one here is related to her, she has no family. Most likely dead. She likes new things and stuff that gives her a sense of adventure. This was shown when she was driving in the sports car.

This was all I could gather from the teenager, but this information has still yet to be confirmed. Guess I'll find out more as the days go on.

~Charlotte~

The sun was shining golden the next day, peeking through the gap in my tent. I sat up still in my sleeping bag and stretched my arms. I shuffled out of the sleeping bag and put on my socks and shoes. When I tied up the shoelaces on my trainers, I walked outside to find that lots of people are awake. Carol is washing peoples clothes and I walk up to her, trying to spot if she had any new bruises.

"How are you, Carol?" I ask her when I get close. She looks up at me and smiles.

"I'm doing just fine, thanks. What about you? You went to bed early. You feeling alright?"

"Yeah, course I am. I was tired from all the excitement in Atlanta. Not use to that." I tell her with a smile.

I look around the camp and see the red sports car that I had driven yesterday. Then I see Dale, stripping some parts. I walk up to him, not sure what to say, but when I get close, words start to flow from my mouth.

"Morning Dale…what are you doing?"

He looks up at me. "Good morning, Charlie. I am tearing apart the car to get some power for the generators."

I give out a long sigh, visibly upset that the car I had so much fin in yesterday was getting ruined. But it's for the best, so I should just smile.

"Okay. Is Daryl back yet from his hunt?"

"…no…" Dale said. I give a nod.

Dale continues to work on the car and I continue to watch him.

I hear a tent zip unzipping. I turn around to the source of the noise and see Rick coming out of a tent. He says morning to a couple people and heads over to Carol like I had just done.

I scratch my noise and then fold my arms as I watch Dale with curiosity as he pulls apart the car.

Suddenly a presence is next to me. When I look at the figure, I see Rick looming above me, watching Dale pull apart the car.

"Look at 'em. Vultures." I joke, giving a small laugh at my comment and so does Rick.

"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get. Got no power without it. I'm sorry Charlie."

"I just thought I would get to drive it for a few more days." I state, my voice sad.

"Maybe we'll get to steal another one someday." Rick tells me. I laugh again.

"Yeah. Maybe."

I sit on a hard rock, continuing to read my book, when screaming erupts.

"Mom!" I hear Carl scream.

"Carl?" I hear Lori shout. I quickly rush over to my tent and throw my book down next to my sleeping bag and grab my knife that I left in the tent.

I speed out and se everyone running into the woods and I follow behind them, reaching them quickly.

"It's over there!" I hear a man shout.

"Dad!" Carl screams.

"Baby!"

"Mama! Mommy!"

"Rick!" Glenn shouts.

Carl is in Lori's arms and Rick rushes over to see if his son is safe.

"I've got him. I've got him." Lori tells Rick. "Nothing bit you? Nothing scratched you?"

"No, I'm okay."

Everyone delves into the woods and it's not long when we come across a walker that is busy eating a corpse of a deer. I sight makes me want to puke, but I force it back in.

The walker groans, and turns its rotten head to face us. Then as it starts to come forward, the men, Rick, Shane, Glenn, Morales and Jim, start to beat at it with the weapons that they hold in their sweaty hands. Then Dale comes in with an axe, and chops down at the walkers neck, separating its head from its body.

"It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain." Dale says in shock.

"Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what." Jim tells us. After a second of silence, we all here a branch snap and everyone is back on alert, waiting for the second walker to attack.

"Oh, Jesus." Dale says when Daryl emerges from the woods, wielding his crossbow, clearly upset that the walker was munching at the dear.

"Son of a bitch. That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this…" Daryl starts to kick the walker that's on the floor, "filthy, disease bearing, motherless poxy bastard!"

"Calm down, son. That's not helping." Dale attempts to calm him down, but is failing.

"What to you know about it, old man?" Daryl questions. "Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to 'On the Golden Pond'? I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" he asks, pointing around the part where the deer was eaten.

"I would not risk that." Shane tells him.

Daryl sighs. "That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel. About a dozen or so. That'll have to do,"

Suddenly, the decapitated head of the walker starts to move its teeth, growling, wanting to eat some more.

"Oh God." Andrea says.

"Come on, people. What the hell?" Daryl inquires. He shoots it with one of her arrows. "Its gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing?

We all return to the camp, my pistol still in my hands, so I holster it in my leather belt across my waist.

"Merle!" Daryl shouts for his brother, but he doesn't know that he isn't here. Instead he is handcuffed to a roof. My heart starts to race and my head starts to think of all these situations that could soon follow up. None of them are good. "Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Lets stew 'em up."

"Daryl, just slow down. I need to talk to you." Shane decides that it is best for him to tell him I guess. I stand back and wait for the possible fight to happen.

"About what?"

"About Merle…There was a…There was a problem in Atlanta."

There's a pause and you can see sadness and grief in Daryl's face.

"He dead?" You can clearly see that Daryl is trying not to cry.

"We're not sure." Shane replies.

"He either is or he ain't!"

"No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick starts to take the lead.

"Who are you?"

"Rick Grimes, you got something you want to tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a rood, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there." Rick explains.

"Hold on. Let me process this. You're saying that you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?"

"Yeah."

In that moment Daryl throws the squirrels that he was holding at Rick and with Rick distracted, Daryl goes in to attack, but Rick pushes him off.

Daryl then pulls out a knife and I fear for everyone's life's when I see the sun shining on the shiny metal. But my fears extinguish when Shane gets Daryl into a chokehold.

"You'd best let me go!"

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." Shane tells him.

"Chokehold's illegal!"

"You can file a complaint. Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day.

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?" Rick asks Daryl.

"Mmmm. Yeah." Daryl agrees after a brief pause of thought. Shane lets go of Daryl.

"What I did was not a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others." Rick tells Daryl.

"It's not Rick's fault. I dropped the key." God, why did T-Dog have to say that. He could've left it at that.

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl questions T-Dog angrily.

"Well, I dropped it in a drain."

"If it's suppose to make me feel better, it don't."

"Well, maybe this will. Look, I chained the door to the roof, so the geeks cant get at him. With a padlock, its gotta count for something."

"Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he is so that I can go get him."

"He'll show you." Lori says to Daryl. "Isn't that right?"

"I'm going back." Rick says.

Rick might be going back, but I'm sure I ain't going back.

I have returned to my rock, reading my book that I was reading not too long ago.

"So that's it, huh?" I hear Shane say. "You're just gonna walk off? Just to hell with everybody else?" I look up from my page and stare at Shane who is talking to Rick.

"I'm not saying to hell with anybody…not you Shane."

"Lori last of all. Tell her that."

"She knows."

"Well, look…I…I don't, okay? So could you just….could you just throw me a bone here, man?" Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?"

"Hey!" Daryl shouts. "Choose your words more carefully."

"No I did." Shane remarks. "Douche bag's what I meant. Merle Dixon…the guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst." He certainly wouldn't.

"What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me." Rick comments.

I can't concentrate on my reading with them talking near me. I look at my page number and close my book. I stand up from the rock and try to find a better place to read.

The book was small, so I finished it in my tent, isolated from everyone. I take out my iPod that was charging from the portable charger. I plug in my headphones and pocket my iPod in my back pocket. I walk out of the tent, whilst choosing a song to play. I put in on shuffle and make my way to the quarry.

I spot Shane and Carl in the water together and the woman doing the laundry nearby. I slowly make my way to them, staring at the glistening suns reflection in the water.

I get close enough to hear what Carl and Shane are talking about.

"I'm not getting anything." Carl complains.

"Yeah, being all wily, staying submerged. Little suckers, they know something's up. That's what's going on. Just going to have to do this the old-fashioned way. Alright, little man, look. You are the key…you are the key in all this, okay? All I'm gonna do is I'm gonna go after one of them, alright, scare the rest of them off. They're gonna scatter. I'm gonna drive 'em your way, okay?"

I reach Carol, Jacqui, Andrea and Amy. I turn off my music when they face me.

"Can I help?" I ask them.

"Sure." Amy says and I take a seat next to her. I turn around to see Ed having a smoke. When I turn back around I see Carl and Shane splashing about in the cold water.

"I'm beginning to question the division of labour here." Jacqui states and I cant help but agree with her.

"They're coming, little man. Get 'em! Get that net in there and get 'em. What have you got, bad boy? What do you got? What do you got?"

Carl lifts up the net to see if they caught anything.

"Dirt."

I giggle at the young man attempting to catch frogs.

"Can someone explain to me how the women wound up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work?" My laughter turns into a sigh when Jacqui says this.

"It's just the way it is." Carol explains.

"Well, it's wrong." I tell them and look back at Ed who stands by his vehicle, smoking his cigarette, watching us do the work. I grab a shirt and start to wash it. "Have the guys gone to get Merle?" I ask.

"Yeah they have. They should leave him there." Amy says.

"Couldn't agree more." I continue to wash the shirt. "But, he is Daryl's brother. And it's fair that his older brother is cuffed on a roof."

There's silence all around, except for the sound of Carl and Shane splashing in the water. I am tempted to drop what I am doing and join them.

"I do miss my Maytag." Carol complains.

Andrea joins in by making a complaint on what she misses. "I miss my Benz, my sat-nav."

"I miss my coffee maker with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey." Jacqui tells us. I start running a list through my head with all the objects that I miss.

"My computer. And texting." Amy states.

"I miss my Playstation and Xbox. I was played on them constantly." I sigh.

"I miss my vibrator." Andrea says. My mouth drops at this comment and everyone starts to laugh. I laugh too, but awkwardly as I have had no experience with the object.

"Oh my God." said Amy.

"Me too." Carol says.

We still laugh and I hear the crunching on footsteps coming closer to us.

"What's so funny?" I hear the booming voice of Ed ask.

"Just swapping war stories, Ed." I tell him and continue to do the laundry.

"Yeah." said Amy.

"Problem, Ed?" Andrea asks and paranoia sets in as I don't want Andrea to do anything rash that can get her hurt.

"Nothing that concerns you. And you ought to focus on your work. Ain't no comedy club."

I pick up another shirt that belongs to me. It's a purple v-neck that I constantly enjoy wearing because of the comfort. I start to clean it and feel the presence of Ed make the hairs on my back stand up. I'm beginning to lose my temper. I make eye-contact with all the women and stand up and give a hard look at Ed. Already I'm regretting what I am about to do.

"Ed, tell you what. You don't like how your laundry is done, you are welcome to pitch in and do it yourself. Here." I tell him in one of the most angriest voices I have ever done. I get my shirt and chuck it at him.

I hits him, but he grabs it and throws it right back at me. I gasp at the whip of the fabric hitting my skin violently.

"Ain't my job, missy."

"Charlotte, don't." Carol warns me. She's had lots of beatings from Ed to know what will happen soon. And I know what will happen, but something inside of me doesn't care.

"What is your job?!" I ask him. "Sitting on your ass smoking cigarettes?"

"Well, it sure as hell ain't listening to some uppity smart-mouthed teenage bitch. Tell you what…" Ed looks down at a scared looking Carol. "…come on. Let's go."

"I don't think she needs to go anywhere with you, Ed." I snap at him.

"And I say it is none of your goddamn business. Come on now. You heard me." he belittles Carol.

Carol stands up. "Carol."

"Charlie, please. It doesn't matter."

"Hey, don't think I wont knock you on your ass just cause you're a weak, shy teenager, alright? Now you come or you'll regret it later."

"So she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed" Jacqui speaks up. "Yeah, we've seen them."

I look at Shane who is watching us from a distance. Why doesn't he do anything?

Ed laughs at the comment Jacqui made. "Stay out of this. Now come on! You know what? This ain't none of y'all's business. You don't want to keep prodding the bull here, okay? Now I am done talking. Come on."

"No no." I tell Carol as she makes her way to the abusive asshole. "Carol, you don't have to."

"You don't tell me what! I tell you what!" Ed says to Carol. One second after, he gives a hard slap around Carols cheek. And that's when all hell breaks loose from everyone.

All of us run to protect Carol. I grab onto Ed and try to push him, but he is so big and much stronger than me. Suddenly, a huge fist connects with my nose and a pain rushes through my head. I fall back onto the hard ground and skid across it, hurting my legs and elbows. My brain is hammering through my skull as I continue to lay on the ground.

"Get off her!" They all scream at Ed when he holds onto Carol, determined not to let go of his fragile wife. Warm liquid trickles down my lips and I immediately put a hand on my mouth and wipe off the blood.

Shane comes over to Ed and grabs him in a tight grip.

"Get off me!" Ed screams at Shane, demanding him to let go. But Shane isn't cooperating.

Ed is thrown on the ground by Shane and he starts to pummel his face with his knuckles. Ed's face immediately gets bloody from the force of Shane's fists connecting with his face.

I continue to stay on the ground as I watch Ed getting beaten up. The women all watch in horror, not noticing me on the ground. To occupied with Ed getting bloody.

"Shane stop!"

"Stop it! Stop!"

Shane grabs a hold of the beaten up Ed. "You put your hands on your wife, your little girl, Charlie or anybody else in this camp one more time, I will not stop the next time. Do you hear me? Do you hear me!?" When Shane mentioned my name, the women all look around for me. Andrea is the first to spot me on the ground. I hold onto my sore leg and see my jeans all torn and blood escaping wounds that I received from falling on the ground. Andrea runs to me and bends down.

I look up at Andrea, who looks so sad. My nose still really really hurts.

Shane punches Ed one more time and kicks him in the stomach.

"Oh God. No. God!" Carol sobs. "Ed, I'm so sorry, Ed. Ed, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Ed."

The woman don't know how to react when they all see me. Shane sits down next to me.

"Oh God." he says. I remove the hand that was holding onto my bleeding nose. It tingles, everything stings. My green eyes droop shut and I pass out from the pain.

* * *

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	6. Many Losses Many Tears

~Shane~

My opinions on Charlie have changed. She is a good girl. She stood up to a man who was twice the size of her, she truly cares about others. She took a punch to a face from the man she stood up to and that takes some serious guts. I saw her get hit in the face, but no one else did. She fell back and hit her head on a rock, grazed some parts on her body and passed out.

She was easy to lift, so I carried her back to the camp. The women all followed me, concerned about her.

"Lori!" I called for her. She was with Carl talking to him. She turned to face me and saw me carrying the passed out Charlie.

"What happened?" She asks.

"Ed." I answer. "Can I put her in your tent to sleep?"

"Of…of course she can stay in there." She replies.

"I can look at her wounds." Jacqui says.

"She took a bash to the nose, hit the back of her head on a boulder and grazed her hands, arms and legs." I look down at her face. Blood is coming out of her nostrils and running down her face. Her nose looks broken.

Amy unzips Lori and Rick's tent and I enter. Jacqui removes the covers from the bed and I lay her down on it.

"Should probably get some bandages, antibiotics and painkillers." Jacqui tells me. I nod my head and leave the tent.

~Charlotte~

I wake up in an unfamiliar tent, sore and irritated. I sit up and rub the back of my head. My nose feels like its vibrating, I touch it and it feels warm. Someone comes in the tent, I cant tell who though, my vision is blurry and its dark.

It's Lori. I try to move my arms, but they feel restricted at the elbows. I look at them and see bandages wrapped around them. Same with my knees.

Lori has a cup of water in her hands and offers it to me and I take it. I gulp it down in no time.

"Thanks." I gasp. I put my feet on the floor and slowly stand up. Everywhere is so sore. I take one step and stumble, but Lori catches me before I fall.

"Lemme help you out. We're having fish dinner. Amy and Andrea caught a lot of fish. Want some?"

"I would love some."

Lori helps me out of the tent. Everyone is gathered around the fire, enjoying the fish dinner, having a good time.

Lori plonks me down next to Andrea.

"How are you?" Andrea asks me, voice full of concern.

"Considering I got hit in the face by a man twice my size…I feel fine."

"You done good. Standing up to that prick."

"Yeah. I'm proud of myself."

"And you should be." Andrea tells me.

Dale and Morales are having a conversation about Dale's watch and I keep talking to Andrea.

Fish is passed to him and I take a bite out of it.

"Wow. You two catch some nice fish." I tell Amy and Andrea.

"Thanks." They say simultaneously.

Amy stands up and Andrea questions her on where she is going.  
"I have to pee. Jeez, you try to be discreet around here…" Amy says and everyone laughs whilst she makes her way to the RV.

I look at Alicia who sits with Daniel and their two sons. "How are you guys?" I ask them, feeling like I haven't spoken to them in a while.

"I'm fine." Alex says.

"Good." Tom says.

Alicia laughs at her sons blunt answers. "This is amazing fish."

"Couldn't agree more." said Daniel.

I hear the RV door opening, "We're out of toilet paper." Amy says. She then steps out of the RV and I take a bite of fish. When I swallow, I almost choke from the sound of a high pitch scream, erupting from Amy.

I look up at her and see a walker's teeth deep into her arm. I drop my plate and everyone starts to scream and scatter.

"Mom!"

"Carl!"

"Lori get him down!" I witness Shane grab his shotgun.

I reach my hand down to my belt to get my pistol, to find that it is not there. Crap. Must've left it in the tent. But I do have my knife. I grab onto it and run up to the walker that bit Amy, tears in my eyes. I stab the walker in the head and it falls onto the floor. Amy has a gapping hole in her left arm and she lies on the ground. I continue to stare at her, screams and groans in the background. A hear moaning getting close to me and when I look at the source of the noise, a walker is making its way to me.

It grabs onto my neck and tries to bite me like a walker done to my friend who lays limp on the ground. I grab onto its head and smash it into the RV, then stab the back of its head with my knife. I run around, not knowing what to do. Andrea goes to her sister that lies on the ground. Amy's eyes open. "Help me." She whispers.

I sprint in one direction, trying to get away from walkers, but skid to a stop when I see a dead body, wide eyed on the floor with a walker eating out of her stomach.

It was Alicia. The walker turns to look at me and I hear screaming, unsure if they are mine. I get a firm grip of my knife and plunge it deep into the walkers head. I lies across Alicia's body and just when I am about to roll the walker off Alicia, growling erupts from behind me. I turn and a walker falls on top of me. When my back hit's the floor, my knife goes flying out of my trembling hands. I'm trying to push the walker off me, but it's too strong. Blood drips out from its open mouth and hits me.

Suddenly the walker falls off me and hit's the ground beside me. I see a bullet hole in its head. I look to see who shot him and I see Glenn. They made it back.

I pick up my knife that flew several feet away from me.

I look back at Glenn, but see another figure next to him, staggering closer.

"Glenn!" I scream. He turns just in time to shoot the walker in between its eyes. I spot Daryl over in the distance, killing a walker with the butt of his rifle.

"Did you get Merle?" I ask Glenn. He shakes his head.

I see dead people. Walking around and dead on the floor. Tears run fast down my face, but I wipe them away with the back on my hand.

It doesn't take too long to kill the remaining walkers. I spot Rick giving Carl a hug, glad that his son is safe.

Andrea is at the RV, by her sisters side. The tears start to fall again when I see Amy touch her sisters face. After she touched her cheek, she went stiff. And died.

Carl begins to sob when he sees Amy die. I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to quiet down my sobs.

"I remember my dream now. Why I dug the holes." Jim says solemnly.

I take the dead walker off Alicia's dead body.

"Mommy!" I hear a little boy scream. I turn and see Tom and Alex, Daniel by their side.

"No no no no." Daniel mutters. He starts to cry, tears violently falling out of his eyes.

"Daniel I am so sorry." I tell him quietly as he runs over to his dead wife. Her stomach is ripped open, with her insides hanging out.

"Alicia…come…come back. You can't. Don't go." He hugs her dead body. I look at Tom and Alex who have run off somewhere. My vision is blurry from tears.

Daniel sniffles, wipes his nose and looks up at me. "Give me your knife." He demands.

I take my knife out of my head cautiously and hold it at the blade and extend it out to Daniel. He grips onto the handle of the knife.

"Goodbye." He sobs, and stabs Alicia in the head.

Andrea is not willing to let go of Amy. She sits next to her sister, holding her. Lori decides to go over to her.

"Andrea. I'm so sorry. She's gone. You got to let us take her. We all cared about her and I promise we'll be as gentle as we can." Lori tells her in a soft, caring voice.

Andrea doesn't let go of her dead sister. Everyone who survived the attack are cleaning up the dead.

"She still won' move?" Rick asks.

"She won't even talk to us. She's been there all night. What do we do?" Lori says.

"Give her time." I say, looking down at my bloody shoes. I loved these shoes, wore them all the time, but now they are stained red from blood.

"Can't just leave Amy like that." said Shane. "We need to deal with it the same as the others."

A tear falls off my chin and hits my bloody shoe.

"I'll tell her how it is." Rick says.

I look up at Rick and see him approach Andrea. "Andrea-" before he can start talking she pulls a gun on him.

"I know how the safety works."

"Alright. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He says as he backs up from her, leaving her with her dead sister.

"Give her time." I repeat the words I said not too long ago and I walk off.

Daniel sits, isolated from everyone. Except he has his two sons by his side.

"I'm gonna go to where my parents-in-law live I need to tell them about Alicia." Daniel tells me in his sad voice. I nod, no idea what to say.

After a while, I think of the words.

"If that's what you think it best, then you should definitely go."

"It is for the best. They need to know what happened to their daughter. My wife." And then he starts to break down. "I wasn't there with her. I should of stayed with her at all times, but I had to find the kids. And now she is dead. And it's my fault!"

"Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb." said Daryl.

"What do you suggest?" Rick asks.

"Leave Andrea mourn her loss." I tell Daryl.

"No. We should take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."

"No. For God's sake, let her be!" I shout.

Since that attack, something happened inside of me. Lots of anger, all boiled up inside and I need to let it go. It's not fair on Andrea, she needs to mourn the loss of her sister and people are not letting her be. I didn't get the chance to say a proper goodbye to my loved ones, and I don't know if they are dead or alive, and that's what's killing me inside.

I am angry because I feel like I could've done something more to reduce the casualties last night.

I see Morales and Daryl, dragging a body of one of our fellow campers, bring them towards the fire. I know what they are gonna do, burn it. But that is not right.

"What are you guys doing?" I ask them. "This is for geeks. Our people go over there." I point to the place where holes are dug, ready to be filled with our dead.

"What's the difference? They're all infected." Daryl states. I clench my fists and shake my head.

"Our people go in that row over there. We don't burn them! We bury them. Understand? Our people go in that row over there."

Morales and Daryl look at each other, unsure what to do at first, but then they start to drag the campers corpse toward the digging hole.

Satisfied, I walk over to Glenn.

"I was gonna say something about burying our dead, but you beat me to it." Glenn tells me.

"I wish Daryl had more of a heart. These were people we knew. And now they are dead." I set my gaze onto the ground and rub my bandaged elbow.

"Maybe he does. And maybe he doesn't want to show his emotions. I don't understand him. Then again, who does? Sometimes it's hard for me to understand you."

I look up at him. "How?"

He gives a low chuckle. "It's like you are two people. You can be this shy little girl, who tried to isolate herself from everyone, not wanting to see violence. Then, you can be this strong woman, who wants to stand up for herself and those around her."

I laugh, "You only see that side of me when I get mad. And I hate that side, because when I try to stand up for myself or others…I either embarrass myself or get myself hurt." And when I say that I gesture to my bandaged legs and elbows. "What side of me do you prefer?"

Glenn hesitates. "Both. Be both."

"A walker got him! A walker got Jim!" Everyone turns to look at Jacqui who is shouting. Everyone gathers around Jim.

"I'm okay. I'm okay."

"Show it to us. Show it to us." Daryl demands.

"Easy, Jim." Shane says

"Grab him." Daryl said and Jim picks up a shovel on the ground, poised to attack

"Jim, put it down. Put it down." Shane tries to calm Jim down.

T-Dog grabs onto Jim from behind.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." He repeats.

Daryl grabs onto the bottom of his shirt and pulls it up to reveal a bite mark on his stomach.

"Oh God." I mutter, tears starting to set in again, but this time I refuse to let them fall.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay."

Everyone looks at each other, thoughts running through there head. And I know what they are thinking. We are gonna have to put Jim down.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it." Daryl says. Again, it seems like Daryl doesn't have a heart.

"Is that what you'd want if it were you?" Shane questions.

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."

"I hate to say it…" Dale begins to say, and I already know what he is gonna say next. "I never thought I would…but maybe Daryl's right."

"Well, I completely disagree." I say out loud, shuffling my feet, rubbing my elbow.

"Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog." said Rick.

"I'm not suggesting-"

"He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"

"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be." Daryl says.

"What if we get him help? I heard of the CDC was working on a cure."

"I heard that too." Shane says. "Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell."

So did I.

"What if the CDC is still up and running?"

"Man, that's a stretch right there."

"Why?" I can't help but feel like Rick is right about the CDC. A certain hope burns deep inside me that a cure could be in the works. "If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection."

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, alright? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning." Shane thinks that Fort Benning would be safe? A lot of people probably thought that and went there. And someone in there could've gotten bitten and therefore the place wouldn't be as safe as we would've hoped.

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction." Lori states.

"That's right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there."

"the military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that. The CDC is our best choice and Jim's only chance." Rick backs up his point on going to the CDC, and I agree with him more.

"You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!" Daryl shouts, heading over to Jim and almost takes a swing at him with his pickaxe, but before he can, Rick's gun is pointed at the back of his head.

"We don't kill the living." Rick tells him.

"That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head." Daryl puts the pickaxe down and leaves the group.

Rick goes up to Jim and holds onto his arm.

"Where are you taking me?" He asks.

"Somewhere safe."

* * *

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	7. Farewells

~Charlotte~

I relax in the waters of the lake in the quarry. I continuously look at where I stood up to Ed, the place where I was doing laundry with the other women. Half of my head bobs out of the water. I take a deep breath, hold it and dive right into the water. I keep my eyes closed. The water is freezing, but I somehow really really like it. It cools down my anger that was heating in me. I blow bubbles out of my mouth and they tickle my nose.  
I need to get air into my lungs so I swim back up and gasp in the air. I look back at were I done the laundry with the women.

Ed is dead. I don't know if I should feel glad or sad. Amy is dead. Alicia is dead. Jim is going to die. Everyone is going to die in this world.

Everyone is at the funeral. Dale and Andrea are carrying Amy's body that is wrapped up in a white sheet and are putting her into a grave. Amy turned into a walker, but Andrea put her down. I wasn't there as I was cooling off in the water.

Dale and Andrea are having difficulty in putting her body in the grave.

"I can do it. I can do it. I can do it! I can do it." Andrea says over and over again to Dale who tries to help her put her dead sister in the grave.

When the funeral was over, I immediately go to the RV that Jim is resting in. I sit down next to him.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him, my voice trembling. I am somehow scared that he will turn in this moment.

"Considering the fact I got bit, I feel fine. I'm okay. Everything will be okay." he looks weak and pale. He tries to put on a brave face, but I see right through it. He already looks dead.

Carol walks in. "How is he doing?" she asks me.

"He says he is doing just fine." I say as I put my hand on his forehead to feel his temperature. It's scorching hot. I stand up and move nearer to Carol. "Fever has gotten worse." I whisper to Carol, trying hard to not let Jim hear.

"I'm fine. I'm okay. Everything's okay. It'll be okay in the end." Jim is saying.

Lori and Rick enter the RV, with concerned looks on both of their faces.

"Fever's worse." Carol tells them.

"You need anything?" Lori asks him.

"Uh…water. Could use some more water."

"I'll go get some."

"Okay."

"Carol, could you help me?" Lori asks her.

Carol nods and they both leave together.

Rick sits next to Jim. "I'm gonna head over to my tent, Rick. Tell me if he needs anything." I tell him. Rick probably has some important things to talk about, without my company. Rick nods at what I say and I leave the RV.

"I've been, uh…I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Now look, there are no…there are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"Everybody listen up. Those of you with CB's, we're gonna be on channel forty. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a CB, can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"

Everyone is gathered around by the cars, we are about to take off to the CDC. I have my rucksack hanging on one shoulder, fully packed and my small red suitcase is in the RV.

"We're, uh…not going." Morales tells us.

"We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people." Miranda then says.

"I'm also going to go off." Daniel said. "I need to go to my parents-in-law and tell them about Alicia." I don't agree with anyone going. How do they now if those that they loved survived? They are filled with hopefulness, and they are going to raise their hopes and will probably have to mourn the deaths of those that they loved.

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane tells them.

"We'll take the chance. I got to do what's best for my family." Morales replies.

"So have I." Daniel said.

I look down at the four children, Tom, Alex, Louis and Eliza. All look blank and sad.

"You sure?" Rick asks them.

Daniel nods.

"We talked about it. We are sure." Morales explained.

"Alright. Shane?"

"Yeah."

Rick then gives Morales a gun and Shane hands him over a box of ammo. They then do the same for Daniel.

"Both of those boxes are half full."

"Thank you all…for everything." Miranda said sadly. Lori then takes Miranda into a warm hug. I look at Sophia and Eliza, both in tears, they are going to miss each other.

"Bye." Eliza whispers. When they let go, Eliza hands Sophia her doll that I've seen her play with many many times.

"Channel forty if you change your minds." Rick tells Morales.

"Yeah."

Sophia returns to Carol and they both hug, sad about the family who are about to leave us.

"Sure you want to go?" I ask Daniel.

"They need to know."

I look down at the ground. "Okay." I whisper.

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed one form the cube van." Dale explains. En route to the CDC the RV's radiator hose burst, so everyone had to stop at the side of the road and now we have to wait for the RV to be patched up.

"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asks him and my mind starts to think of what the definition of jury-rigging is.

"That's all its been so far. It's more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape."

"I see something up ahead!" Shane calls, pointing down the road. "A gas station if we're lucky."

The door of the RV opens and Jacqui steps out. "Y'all, Jim…it's bad. I don't think he can take anymore." She tells us, then goes back in to the dying Jim. My bottom lip quivers.

No. No more crying. It's weak and those who are weak die.

"Hey, Rick. You want to hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back." Shane said.

"Yeah, I'll come along too and I'll back you up." T-Dog tells Shane.

"Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back." Shane tells us.

I slowly make my way over to Glenn who is staring at the RV.

"How are you hanging?" I ask him, crossing my arms.

"I'm fine. Just worried."

"About what? There is a lot of things to be worrying about nowadays."

"I am worrying about everything. Mainly Jim and what we are gonna do about him." As soon as Glenn says that, Rick goes into the RV, probably to check up on him.

"It's hard," I say quietly. "What's going on. I don't understand what we did for this to happen. Why did the dead start walking around?"

"Maybe when we are at the CDC we will get some answers."

"Maybe."

I scratch my sweaty forehead, thinking of what to say next as I want to change the subject. My head is thumping and I hear my heartbeat in my ears. The heat is starting to get to me.

"It's hot, huh?" I say.

"Boiling." he agrees.

I then see Rick coming out of the RV, looking glum.

"Jim…he wants…he wants us to leave him here. He wants to be with his family."

We all look at him and I want to say something, but I cannot form words.

Shane and T-Dog came back quickly and Rick was talking to all of us about the situation with Jim.

"It's what he says he wants." Rick tells us, looking at me.

"And he's lucid?" Carol asks.

"He seems to be. I would say yes."

"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood." Dale begins. "I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here?" Shane asks. "We take off? I'm not sure I can live with that."

"It's not your call, either one of one." Lori tells him.

Rick looks up at Shane.

"D'you mind helping me take him out?"

"Course." Shane replies.

They headed into the RV and grabbed Jim, carrying him to a nearby tree. Jim is groaning when he is set down. "Hey, another damn tree." Jim chuckles, and I am unsure as to what he means.

"Hey, Jim. I mean…you know you it doesn't need to be this." Shane informs him.

"No. It's good. The breeze feels nice." he says with a small smile on his face.

"Okay. Alright."

"Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." Jacqui says sadly, her eyes sparkling with tears. She leans down to kiss him on the cheek. Rick takes out a gun and shows it to Jim.

"Jim. Do you want this?" He asks,

"No. You'll need it. I'm okay. I'm okay."

"Hey, thanks for, uh, fighting for us." Dale tells him.

"Okay."

I was never close to Jim, but he was a good man. I want to say something as a goodbye, but I can't think of anything to say.

The group departs, leaving Jim resting at his tree. He looks so peaceful, staring up at the sky.

We managed to make our way to the CDC with no more problems. There were military checkpoints and all were filled with walkers. There was an unbearable stench of dead bodies and I had to wrinkle my nose. We all jogged up to the doors of the CDC. Finally we are here. We started to pound on the large metal door, trying to get someone's attention.

"Nothing?" Shane asks.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog complains.

"There has to be." I mutter.

"If no one is here then why are the shutters down?" Rick asks.

"Walkers!" I hear Daryl call. I turn to see where the walkers are coming in from. They are a few, making their way down to us. One goes down as Daryl shoots it in the head.

"You led us to a graveyard!" Daryl shouts. My heart starts to beat hard and it feels hard for me to breathe.

"He made a call." Shane says.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl yells

"Just shut up! Shut up! Rick, this is a dead end."

"Where are we gonna go?" I ask.

"She's right. We can't be here, this close to the city after dark." Lori explains to the men.

"Fort Benning, Rick…still an option."

"On what? No food, no fuel. That's a hundred miles." Andrea said.

"One-twenty-five. I checked the map." Glenn says.

"Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight. Now." Lori says.

"We'll think of something." Rick tells her.

I look at Glenn and he looks back at me. I thought that we could find answers here, but I was wrong. And so was Rick. My breathing feels weak and I start feeling light-headed.

"The camera! It moved!" Rick shouts. I look at him and my eyes drift to the camera. It's still.

"You imagined it." Shane says.

"It moved, it moved."

"Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It's gears. They're just winding down. Now come on!" Shane tells Rick. I can't help but believe Rick. There's a small bubble of hope still inside of me.

Rick starts to slam on the shutters and my ears ring from the noise. "I know you are in there!" Rick calls. "I know you can hear me!"

Shane and Lori both attempt to drag Rick away, but his determination makes his feet stick to the ground.

"Everyone get back to the cars." Shane tells us, but I stay still, watching both the shutters and the camera.

"Please! We're desperate. Please help us! We have woman, children, no food, hardly any gas left."

"Rick there's nobody here!" Lori tells him, still trying to get away from the shutters. He continues to pound on the metal shutters.

"You're killing us! Please!" Rick pleads to get entrance

The group start to walk off, but soon the area turns bright with blinding light. I shade my eyes, but it does nothing. Everyone is being drowned in the light and all I can see is silhouettes around me. I can just make out the shutters being raised slowly. I smile at the sight. I lower my arm and take in the light, even though it hurts my eyes. We can get the answers that we have been longing for. Get the information we need.

The CDC is open.

* * *

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	8. A Place to Stay

~Charlotte~

We walked though the empty and quiet CDC. When I first stepped in here I expected scientists to be walking round, someone giving us a warm welcome and introducing us to each scientist.

"I don't understand…" I say out loud. "Where is everyone?"

I look up at Glenn and he shrugs his shoulders. Everyone was looking round, taking in everything in the building, but we still managed to stay close to each other. I stopped dead in my tracks when I hear the sound of a rifle being pumped.

"What do you want?" We heard the voice of a stern man. Rick, Shane and Daryl point their weapons in the direction the sound came from.

Rick slowly put his gun down, a sign that we are friendly. "A chance." Rick tells the unknown man. I stare at the man who hold the gun. He looked like he was in his mid forties and short greyish, blonde hair.

"That's asking for a lot these days."

"I know that. But please, you can trust our people. We are good people." Rick tells him, the tone in his voice is pleading.

"Anybody infected?" He asks and I immediately think of Jim and us leaving him at the tree.

"One of our group was." Rick states. "He didn't make it."

"You all submit a blood test." My first thought was, 'Nope, no way. I can't do that. Needles and me don't get on well together.' I always end up fainting. But if it is to stay here, then I guess I am gonna have to deal with it. "That's the price of admission."

"We can do that." Rick tells him, but I know I can't. My legs feel like they are about to collapse.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed."

I don't like needles, but I am okay in cramped spaces, like the one we are in now. We are in a small box elevator. Glenn is pushed up really close to me, his hand on my shoulder. My heart is beating fast, because never has a boy been so close to me.

Rick introduces himself to the scientist.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner."

I listen to the gentle hum of the elevator.

"Doctors always go packing heat like that?" Daryl asks. I give a quiet chuckle.

"You all look harmless enough…except for you. I'll have to keep my eye on you." Dr Jenner says, looking down at a beaming Carl.

The elevator doors opened and we walk down a long narrow hallway.

"Are we underground?" Carol asks, he a hit off fear in her voice.

"Why? Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner asks her.

"A little." Carol replied.

I walk down the hallway next to Glenn, are arms rubbing against each other as we walk down.

"There are dorms where you can sleep in, the food hall is close by and there is a games room that the kids can play in, but just don't put in any video games."  
I sigh when he says this as I miss my video games. They are something I used to play with all the time.

"And when you shower…" he begins and my heart skips a beat when he said the 's' word. "go easy on the hot water."

"Hot water?" Glenn asked, a smile creeping on his face.

"That's what the man said." T-Dog exclaimed, with a smile bigger then Glenn and mines put together.

Hot water? I could stay in this place forever.

Dr Edwin Jenner has been here all by himself. There is a ton of food here, so we have been stuffing our faces with food. I've never been out, drinking alcohol. I never really had many friends. I'm not a big fan of alcohol, but I haven't had any in a long time. Today was the first time I had booze in a very long time.

It tasted better than the last time I had it, which was at my best friend's sixteenth birthday party. I remember people getting wasted, kissing going on behind closed doors and a lot of pink balloons.

"You know, kids in France and Italy have some wine." Dale said, looking down at a grinning Carl. He was curious with what the taste of wine would be.

Lori hands the young boy her glass that contains red wine and he takes a sip.

"Ew."

Everyone started to burst into laughter, filling the room with joy. This is a place we may actually be able to stay. A place for us to survive.

"So, Jenner. What happened here?" Shane asks him. "Aren't there more of you?"

"No. When things started to go down, people started to leave to be with their families. The ones who stayed…opted out. They could not stand what was going on outside."

"Why'd you stay?" Rick asks him.

"I made a promise."

There was quiet, everyone taking in the words of Dr Jenner.

"Dud, you are such a buzz kill." Glenn tells Shane.

It was incredible to feel hot water splashing itself on me in the shower. I could relax in the water, washing myself with soap and shampoo. I let the water rain on my face. I almost slipped in the shower and was close to hitting my head.

I stared at the bruise on my arm that was forming. It was in the middle of my arm, where the needle went in. The bandages that I had on from when I fell were gone, but I still had grazes on my arms and legs that stung from the waters touch, but I didn't mind. I wasn't that bad with the needle. My knees were shaking and I didn't watch the withdrawal of my blood. I had to force myself to look away. It's funny, living in a world were we now have to kill to survive, but I still get the feeling I am about to faint when I see the red liquid.

Dr Jenner said to go easy on the hot water, but I can't help myself.

I start to think about everything in my life, before all this crap starting happening. My parents and the holidays that we went on, my parents getting married, first day of school. Now, we will never go on holidays again, no more marriages or weddings, children won't get their first day of school. These memories that some people won't get to experience.

I turn off the water and start to dry myself with a cream coloured towel. It was fluffy. I wrapped my hair up in the towel and started to get dressed. I put on black coloured leggings, and then wore denim shorts lover them. I put on my white shirt and a checked shirt over it, not doing any of the buttons. The over sized shirt was one of my favourites, because of the comfort.

I head over to the room that Dr Jenner said I could have. I sit on my single bed thinking. We can stay here. This place is perfect. Food, hot water clean sheets. I observe the sheets I sit on that cover my bed. Clean. There isn't a speck of dirt in this room.

Even though I think this is a place we can stay, I don't want to unpack my suitcase. I keep the small luggage under my bed as well as my rucksack. I lie on my front and hug the cool comfort of the bed, resting my head on the pillow. But then I realise I still have the towel wrapped on my head.

I take it off and toss it on the floor, immediately returning into my comfortable position. I want to drift off into sleep, but my head is buzzing, full of thoughts. My hair is wet, dampness sticking to my back and my clothes.

There was a soft knock at my door.

"Who is it?" I muffle, sound being restricted as my mouth is on my pillow. Somehow the person manages to hear it.

The door opens a crack, "It's Carl."

I get up and the wooden door opens wider.

"Hey, Carl. How are you?" I ask him, wondering why he is here.

"I'm about to go to bed. You haven't read to me in a while. Can you read me a chapter tonight?" He asks me in his quiet voice.

"Of course I can." My bare feet hit the ground and I bend down to get my purple suitcase. I unzip it quickly and the first thing I see is Chamber of Secrets.

"Where do you want to read it?" I ask him, taking the book out, zipping the suitcase and sliding it back under the bed.

"Can we go into the games room? Sophia wants to hear too."

I wasn't allowed to read to Sophia. Her dad wouldn't allow it, but he's dead now.

We walk down hallways and past the food hall. The games room was nice. It had a TV sitting on a table by a wall with game consoles set up under the TV, gathering dust. Shelves stacked with DVD's and video games were lined up on the walls, posters hung up on the walls.

A red beanbag, a purple one and a blue one were sitting in front of the TV, Sophia was sitting on the purple one and Carl ran up to the blue one and jumped onto it. That left me with the red one. I plonked my butt down and opened the book to were the bookmark was sticking out.

"Sophia, do you want me to start at the beginning or is it okay if we start from were Carl and I were last?" I ask her.

"You can start from were you two last were."

I smiled at her, they were both getting into a comfy position and I was waiting for them to stop fidgeting. I giggled at their shuffling and cleared my throat, preparing myself to read out loud.

I looked down at the page and opened my mouth to read.

"'The end of summer holidays came too quickly for Harry's liking…"

I finished the chapter, it took a while because Carl and I had to answer some of Sophia's questions. She was always polite in asking them, always waiting until I finished a sentence. She asked questions like, 'What is Hogwarts?' and 'Who are the Weasley's'.

Carl seemed to be fed up with her questions as he wanted to listen to me read. I would sometimes look up from the page to see them watching me. A month ago I would of stopped having to read because I would've been too shy to continue reading. But it felt nice to see two pairs of cute, innocent eyes looking up at me, showing interest in the words that were flowing from my mouth. It made me feel special in some sense.

The following morning I realised something. Everyone drunk a whole lot more than me. I had two glasses of wine and a beer. I felt fine this morning. Everyone came in with headaches, moaning about the pain in their heads.

"How are you, Glenn?" I ask him when he came into the cafeteria.

"Don't let me drink again." He groans and I laugh. He covers his ears and says how my laugh hurt his head even more.

A plate of eggs were set in front of me. I look up to see who brought them to me and I see T-Dog. I thank him and start to eat the eggs.

"These are really nice." I mumble, my mouth half full from the eggs I was chewing. I wasn't lying. They were really good.

Shane walked past the table.

"Shane, what happened to your neck?" Rick asks him. I look up from my eggs and see three red scratches on his neck.

"Must've done it when I was sleeping."

Everyone was sitting down, quietly eating as the majority of the group was suffering from a hangover.

"Excuse me, I hate to ask a question-" Dale starts.

"You're going to ask me anyway?" Jenner rudely interrupts Dale.

"We didn't come here for the eggs. We came for answers." Andrea told him

* * *

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	9. The Explosion and the Wreckage After

~Charlotte~

We all left our food and followed Jenner, which I didn't want to do as the food was delicious. I did not want it to go cold, but questions had to be answered. Jenner lead us to a huge room that had many work desks and computers. A huge screen was in the room, my jaw dropped slightly from the size of it.

"Vi, turn on the video." Jenner commanded to one of the computers in the room.

Then, the huge screen flashed and a picture of a human skull showed on the screen, showing the persons brain.

"This is a representation of what happens during the transformation. Test-subject 19, or TS-19." Jenner explained to us. Small balls of light started to travel through the brain. Transformation? This is a representation of someone who got bit and is in the process of turning. My stomach started to feel odd at the sight of the brain.

"What are those?" Dale asked, curious about the balls of light that are travelling around the brain.

"They are everything that make you who you are." He tells us. My eyes follow the white lights that are travelling through the brain. Then, the twinkling lights faded.

"What happened?" Andrea asks him.

"They died." Jenner muttered. "This brain recording is of a person who got bitten and they said that they would help us see what would happened."

Then in the centre of the brain, tendrils of red started to fill the brain, flowing through it like ink.

"What's that?" Lori asked.

"That's the infection. It acts like meningitis, invading the brain." Jenner explained.

"It brings them back?" questioned Carol.

"Yes, but the 'you' part, is gone. There is nothing human left. It can take from a few minutes to eight hours." The dead human was reanimated, it started to move about, moving its jaw.

I looked at Andrea, tears started to form in her sad eyes. Jenner also looked at her.

"She lost her sister." Dale explained.

"I'm sorry." Jenner said. "I too lost someone I loved."

My attention was drawn back to the screen as suddenly, something showed at the edge of the screen, pointing at the head that was moving. No longer human. It was a walker. Then, there was a flash and the skull was split in two. The walker stopped moving.

"What was that?" Andrea asked.

"He killed his patient." Lori exclaimed.

The screen cut to black. Dale started to make his way over to Jenner. "Hate to ask one more question, but that clock is counting down. What happens when it reaches zero." I look at the red numbers on a small screen. Counting down. I never noticed that, due to my obliviousness.

Jenner shuffled on his feet, staring at the countdown. After a moment of hesitation he gives a long sigh and then answers.

"The…the generators run out of fuel." He states.

"And then?" Rick waits for him to answer, but he doesn't respond. "Vi, what will happen in the event of power shortages?"

"In case of power shortages, the decontamination of the entire building will be executed." The computer said.

In that moment, everyone stops. Not a breath can be heard. We all take in the words, proceeding them, not sure of what they mean.  
Everyone went into their rooms to gather all their belongings. I drag my suitcase out from under my bed and my rucksack, swinging it on my back. Rick, Shane, Glenn and T-Dog went into the basements to check out the generators.

I made sure that I had all of my possessions and I done this all in a rush, afraid that time will run out. This place was about to blow. As I checked that I had all my stuff, my brain was thinking of different situations that could play out.

What if we stayed? An easy death. If we leave, we will get eaten. Maybe it's best if I stay. Go in the flames. A quick death. My parents are probably dead and if I die, I will be reunited with them. Won't I?

"Fifteen minutes prior to decontamination." I look up at the countdown.

"Doc, what is this shit?! Tell us!" Daryl yells.

The air in this building was going to ignite, killing us, but it'll be a quick and painless death.  
Dr Jenner wants to stay here and blow up in the flames and locked us all in the control room. None of us can escape, but maybe that's for the best. Maybe it is best if we stay here. My mind was sitting on the fence, unsure whether we should stay and die painlessly, or go out and face the cruel world.

"You best let us out of here or I'll kick your ass!" Daryl demanded. I looked around at the survivors, close to tears. Carl and Sophia were bawling, so was Carol along with Lori.

"Why do you want to go out there? Out into a world where you could get eat alive? Are you willing to go through more pain? More suffering? You can just get it over and done with here. In one short second." Jenner was telling us, persuading us to stay.

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" Carol sobbed as she hugged Sophia close.

"Your daughters are going to die if you take them outside. There is no hope." Jenner told her, in a calm manner.

"I think you're lying." Rick said to Jenner.

"What?"

"Yeah, you're lying. When you say there's no hope. If that were true, you would run away with all the others. You chose to stay. Why?"

"It isn't important."

"Oh, yes it is. Everything is important. You decided to stay, while others went running. Why?"

"I made a promise. To her. My wife."

"Was Test Subject 19 you're wife?" Lori asks him.

He gives a small nod, "She wanted me to continue the search as long as possible. What could I do? I couldn't say no. She was dying. I should have been in her place. Not many people would miss me. She ran the centre, I was just an employee. She was an Einstein. Me, I've never been more than Edwin Jenner. She could find a solution to everything. Not me."

"She didn't choose to opt out. You can make a choice. Let us out." Rick begged.

Jenner looked at him with sad eyes. "I have told you all the doors on the ground floor are close and I cannot open them."

Then, I hear the swish of the metal doors opening, allowing us to leave.

"Let's go!" Daryl called. Everyone grabbed their bags and started to run out.

Unlike the others, I was walking. I was still making my choice, my nbrain was sitting on the fence on what choice I should make. Should I go for the easy way? Or should I try to survive? If I do try to survive, it'll probably not last long.

"C'mon, Jacqui!" T-Dog calls. I look behind me and I see Jacqui stand by Jenner's side. She has made her choice.

"I'm gonna stay." She calls.

"Me too!" Andrea shouts, sitting on one of the chairs in the room. I stand their, looking at the three of them.

"Charlie?!" I look back at the metal doors and see Glenn standing in the doorway. Dale is running over to Andrea, probably trying to talk her out of it.

I run over to Jacqui and give her a tight hug. My tears soak into her shirt and my sobs are muffled from the fabric. "Is this what you want?" I ask her, barely getting the words out.

"Yes." Jacqui says. I let go of her and stare into her eyes, still deciding.

I don't think I am brave enough to face the world again.

"Charlie? C'mon let's go!" Glenn calls for me, his voice in panic. I look back at him, I can just about see him. I shake my head. Glenn stares at me in shock. He then looks at the countdown, knowing that he has to go or he will die in the flames. I take my rucksack off my shoulders and set it down at my feet.

"Glenn. Go." I tell him.

He stares at me, wide eyed. Shocked. He turns. And leaves.

"Charlie? You can't seriously be staying here?" Dale looks at me.

"I think Jenner is right."

"No. No he isn't. If you and Andrea are staying," he pulls up a chair. "So am I."

"No. Dale, don't do this." Andrea tells him.

"Dale, please. Just go." I then say. My mind is forming so many thoughts. Now I really don't know what to do. If I stay, I will have Dale's blood on my hands. I can't have that. I look at Andrea and see glares at Dale, full of anger and hate. She is probably thinking the same as me.

"Fine." I snap. I pick up my rucksack and swing it on my shoulders. "Better get going if we don't want to die." I mutter. My emotions are on a rampage because of Dale.

Andrea stands up from her chair, followed by Dale.

"Good. Made a good choice."

I look around for my suitcase. "Where is my suitcase?" I mumble, my eyes scanning around for my purple luggage.

"No time. You better go." I hear Jacqui say. I stare at her. She is definitely staying. My hand is then being tugged on, taking me away from Jacqui.

Dale, Andrea and I run out of the CDC, sun beating down on us.

I look at our vehicles, all filled with our friends. Waiting for us. We all sprinted as fast as we can towards the cars. Suddenly, I am being brought down. The three of us hide take cover.

The sharp high pitched sound was unbearable. The CDC, explodes in an immense orange fire. Debris falling everywhere and I cover my head, hoping that none of it will hit me. I could feel the heat, the air become scorching and my skin felt like it was about to boil. It felt like an earthquake had struck, the ground was rumbling.

When everything started to quiet down a little, we got up and ran to the cars. I the three of us got into the RV which started to back up from the chaos. Nothing of the CDC remained, about from a big, black cloak of smoke. Jacqui and Jenner have now been reduced to ashes and I could've been a part of that. As well as Andrea and Dale.

Glenn is in the RV and he glares at me when we enter. Rick starts the engine and we start to drive away from the smoldering rubble.

The people in the group are probably disappointed in me, wanting to die in there. But I am not as strong as they are. And if I am to be a part in this group, then they need to accept that fact.

~Glenn~

We made a quick stop, but quickly continued our drive. No one spoke to each in the moments we were out of their vehicles. I wanted to speak to Charlie, but the fact that she was willing to stay there…I don't know what to say to her. She is a good friend and the fact that she was going to suicide and leave everyone just makes me sad, angry and disappointed.

Jacqui is gone. Andrea was going to be in the flames too. But the fact that Charlie was going to toss her life away makes me feel more sad.

I was in the RV, Dale was driving, I was in the seat next to him, Andrea and Shane were sitting at the table. Shane was teaching her how to clean her gun. Charlie was at the back of the RV with T-Dog, but she wasn't speaking. She was sitting down, listening to her music, daydreaming.

"Oh, jeez."

I look at Dale, then look at the road in front of us. The road I wasn't paying attention to. A huge truck was turned on its side, blocking us from going any further. I looked back at Charlie and saw her take off her headphones, coming up to the front of the RV to take a look.

There were a ton of cars, most with their doors open. No way to get around. I gave a long sigh. I felt Charlie's presence next to me, leaning on the seat I was sitting on. I look at the road, Daryl coming up to us on his bike.

"See a way through?" Dale asks him.

Daryl looks back at the mess and drives around the RV. He cuts in front of us, starting to lead us through the chaos. I analyse the map in my hands and Charlie looks over my shoulder to get a look at it.

"Uh…maybe we should just go back. There's am interstate bypass-" I was cut off by Dale.

"We can't spare the fuel."

We continue to make our drive around the mess, in a slow pace.

~Charlotte~

I left tense as we drove around the maze of cars. I felt like at any moment, a walker could come out of a car and attack us. Daryl rode his bike, leading us through the mess. The car behind us held Rick, Lori, Carl, Sophia and her mom, Carol.

"Jeez." I mutter. Clothes and other assorted objects were scattered across the road. The cars doors were open, probably from where people tried to escape.

"Can we get through here?" Glenn asks. I realise that Glenn is mad at me, he keeps on giving me these looks. But let him be mad. I wanted to end my suffering there, at the CDC. That was my choice. Now I am here, in this mess.

I jumped out of my skin, when smoke erupted from the hood of the RV and the RV started clanking, making odd noises that didn't sound good.

Dale groaned as the engine spluttered.

We made our way out of the RV. "I said it. Didn't I say it?" Dale said when he comes out of the RV, staring at the hood of the RV. "Thousand times. Dead in the water."

"Problem, Dale?" Rick asks,

"Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no-hope of…" he drifts off, looking around at the grave-yard we were stuck in. We all look at Daryl who rummages through the back of the nearest car.

"If you cant find a radiator hose here…" Shane says.

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl continues.

"I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-Dog says.

"Maybe some water." Carol inputs.

"Or food." I add.

"This is a grave-yard." Lori says sadly. Everyone stops what they are doing and looks at her. "I don't know how I feel about this." Lori adds, looking at her husband.

We all look at each other, taking in Lori's words.

"Everyone, gather what you can." Shane tells us.

The first car that I head into had its doors wide open, spewing contents. I open the rucksack that was hanging out of the car, kneeling down to rummage through its contents.

Unlike Lori, I feel fine with going through this mess.

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	10. The Graveyard that Surrounds Us

~Charlotte~

I let out a small giggle when I analysed the black can in my hands. Tactical bacon? I never heard of the canned food before. Who knew such a thing existed. I put the can into the large blue rucksack that I found in a car a few moments ago. The only thing in this was toiletries, make-up, toothbrushes, toothpaste. A lot more crap could be stuffed in here.

I continued to look through the car I found the tactical bacon in. In the back of the car there were two bottles of water, cans of different types of soup and two more cans of tactical bacon. There was a small red suitcase with white spots in the back of the car. I lost mine back at the CDC. I opened it, in the hopes that I would obtain some new clothes. The first thing in the suitcase was a picture in a sparkly frame. It was a picture of a family of four, standing in a green field, a blanket laid across the grass and food was spread out. A picnic, smiling faces, the sun shining behind them.

I put the picture next to the open suitcase and started to rummage through it. I looked at the sizes of them, all my size. I stared at the picture that I took out. A young blonde, petite girl was standing at the centre. She looked a little bit younger than me. There was a boy with ashy blonde hair standing by her side, he looked like Carl's age.

I then continued my search through the suitcase. I then stopped, realising that I could take the whole suitcase and the contents in it.

I grabbed the handle of the suitcase and pulled it out of the car and begun to drag it to the RV. I had to walk past Glenn and Dale who were sorting out the RV to get it running again. I didn't make eye-contact, I walked straight to the door and got in the RV. I set my new suitcase down by my rucksack and got back out of the RV to continue my search for supplies that would come in handy.

I made my way to a car near Daryl and opened the door on the passengers side. I took the brown, tattered knapsack that was lying on the seat and sat down on the leather seat. I rested the knapsack on my lap and started to go through it. The first thing I see in the bag was a small folding knife. The blades handle looked like wood, but when I grasped onto it, I felt the cold metal cooling down my sweaty palm. I took out the knife that was at my belt, staring it , then back to the new blade. The old knife was a kitchen knife, used for chopping food. I used it for my first walker kill. I then tossed my old knife, making it hit the car opposite the one I was sitting in and pocketed my new folding knife. The next thing in the bag was a silver pistol, that looked exactly like the one holstered at my belt. Next to the gun was a small box of ammo.

I took the rest of the stuff out of the bag and set it on the drivers seat. There was sunscreen, an empty bottle of water, a tin opener, a small sewing kit, scissors, duct tape, half a packet of spearmint chewing gum, a pair of black woollen gloves and lastly a box of matches. I returned all the objects back into the bag, except for the empty bottle of water and swung it around my shoulder. I got out of the car and looked around my fellow survivors.

Carol was admiring a red shirt with Lori close by. Glenn was at the RV, trying to fix it up. Dale was on the top of the RV, looking through his binoculars, to see if any trouble would come. Shane and the rest of the group were searching through cars. The only person I couldn't see was Andrea.

I made my way to a different car and started to look through that. From the car I got a new pair of blue socks and some new trainers that would fit me perfectly. I took off my old trainers that were dirty and giving me blisters and then took off my sweaty socks that were horribly warm and damp. I put on my new footwear and got out of the car.

When I got out, I decided to look around at the group once more, but saw no one. Just as I was about to call out to them, a large hand went over my mouth. When I looked up to see who it was, I saw Daryl. He started shushing me.

"Get under the car." he whispered to me. "Walkers."

I didn't need to ask anymore questions. I got on my tummy and slid under the car. I started to hear the mix of snarls, moans and groans from the walkers approaching. I tried to slow down my breathing as I felt like the walkers would be able to hear it and find me. My heart started to beat like never before, never has it felt this fast. It started to get faster as I watched the walkers feet, stumbling past the car I was hiding under.

I stared at their feet, most wore shoes, but I noticed some only had one shoe one and some had none. On their trousers I could see the stains of blood, a murky brown. I slowly made my hand go to the pocket that my new knife was in, just in case a walker comes crawling by and sees me. I cautiously inched it to the handle that was poking out. When my hand gripped it, I slowly pulled it out.

I flicked the sliver blade out and waited, hoping that I wouldn't have to use it. Tons of feet shuffled past me. I listened to the moans, hoping that soon they would quiet.  
And it was just my luck, after a minute of tension, the noises started to drift off and no walkers went past the car I was hiding under. The silence was cut off by the sound of quiet whimpers. They sounded like a girls.

I quickly shuffle out of the car and look in the directions the sound was coming from. I can see Sophia, running down a hill and into the forest, two walkers hot on her tail. Rick then gets out from his hiding spot and makes a run for them.

"Lori. Two walkers are after my baby." Everyone gathers round to where Carol is. Lori is stopping Carol from running out into the woods. I get closer to the group, hearing Carols sobs.

I was next to Glenn, all of us staring into the abyss of the woods. Carol was in tears, that was the only thing that could be heard.

We all waited for Rick to come out, hopefully caring Sophia like a hero. I looked up at Glenn and he looked at me, an anxious look played across his face.

"My baby." Carol cried.

"It's alright, Carol. Rick, he's gonna come out there with your daughter. Don't you worry." Lori reassured her.

He didn't.

When he came out, he told us what had happened in there. He managed to get the two walkers away, hiding Sophia, but when he got back, she wasn't there. Rick, Daryl, Shane and Glenn headed off into the woods to track her down and all Carol could do was cry.

Later, Glenn and Shane returned saying that Daryl and Rick are going to look. Daryl is the best tracker, if anyone can find Sophia it has to be him.

After half an hour, we all decided it was best to get the cars moving to clear a path. The engine of a car next to the RV revved up, Shane started driving it and used it to push the red car that was blocking the RV away making it collide with another car. All Carol could do was stand, looking out into the woods, waiting for her daughter to return by her side. I sat on the hood of a car, watching her worry. I want to talk to her, say everything will be fine, that she'll come back, but I don't want to raise her hopes. And I don't want to raise mine. The odds are not in Sophia's favour. She is most likely dead, but I obviously can't say that to her weeping mother.

T-Dog is hurt and he is hurt really badly. A long and deep gash runs along his forearm, blood constantly escaping the wound.

I watch as Carol turns and walks up to Dale with her arms crossed.

"Why aren't we all out there looking? Why are we moving cars?" she asks him.

"We have to clear enough room so I can get the RV turned around as soon as it's running. Now that we have fuel we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map." Dale explained.

Shane got closer to the two of them and said, "Going back's going to be easier than trying to get through this mess."

"But we're not going anywhere till my daughter gets back."

"Hey, that goes without saying." Lori tells her. I slide off the hood of the car and start walking around.

"Look, Rick and Daryl, they're on it, okay? Just a matter of time." Shane tells Carol. I make my way up to Glenn who now stands by Carols side.

"Can't be soon enough for me." Andrea states, tossing a full water bottle to Glenn. "I'm still freaked out from that herd that passed by, or whatever you'd call it."

"Yeah, what was that?" Glenn asks in a quiet mumble. "All of them just marching along like that."

"Beats me." I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"A herd? That sounds about right." Shane says. "We've seen it. It's like the night our camp got attacked." When he said that my fists clenched. Horrible memories of death and suffering. "Just some wandering pack, only fewer."

Shane cleared his throat. "Come on people. We still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it. Let's go, come on."

Glenn and I followed Shane. Glenn handed me the water bottle. "Want some?" he asks me quietly.

I give a small nod and take the bottle out of his hand. I take a small sip of the cool water, my throat was so dry and hot that the cool liquid hurt. I handed it back to him and started to cough.

He then gulps some water. "Why?" he asks. I stop in my tracks and look up at him. He stops to, looking down at me, waiting for my response. But I don't know how to respond.

"'Why' what?"

"Why were you going to stay in the CDC? Why did you want to give up?"

I swallow hard, thinking of my answer. "Because…because I didn't think I was brave enough to face the cruel world anymore. I truly believed that it was best for me to…to end it all there. Do you really think that the people who are still alive, can die from old age? No, that won't happen to anyone. No one is going to make it. Look at everyone here. Do you sincerely believe that all of us can make it to the end? Do you think we can all survive? I don't think so. So, what I believe is that, end it all, quick and painlessly. Because in this world we are going to die painfully, no matter what the situation is. No one will die in peace. That is why I wanted to give up."

Glenn can't form words. I stare at him, waiting for him to reply. "There's also another reason. All my family are most likely dead. All my relatives. I don't know what happened to my parents and that is what hurts. They went on holiday when everything happened and are probably walkers in that country. I'll never know what happened to them. And if they are dead, I could have been with them." I didn't notice that tears were falling from my eyes. I only noticed when Glenn held me in a tight hug. I felt a kiss being placed on the top of my head.

I tried not to cry to loudly and I felt embarrassed that my tears were being soaked by Glenn's shirt, but he didn't care. We stayed in the hug for a while. I let go of him and quickly wiped my eyes. I stared at him for a while and he smiled. I smile back, knowing that I would no longer be hated.

"I agree with you. Yeah, we are gonna die. I'm sorry about your family. But look around at the people surrounding you. It's a new family. And when we die, we die fighting with our family"

I smile some more at what Glenn has just told me.

I clear my throat, "I'm gonna look for more supplies." I tell him and walk off to search though some more cars.

The main thing that I was looking for was books. Mine were all in my suitcase that got blown up. I'd be so lucky to find Chamber of Secrets as I still needed to find that for Carl. Thinking about the book made me think of the night I was reading a chapter to Carl and Sophia. I got into a driver seat of the car I was standing next to.

I let the tears fall. This world kills the innocent. A young girl who had so much to live for, lost in the woods. Most likely never to be found. I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle the sound of my cries.

I repeat the words that Glenn said to me, those words about my new family. Well, we just lost a member of the family. And the numbers are going to slowly decrease. What if in the end, I am the only member of this family living? I'm afraid to walk this Earth on my own. I'm afraid to keep on living.

I wiped my nose with my hand and take a shaky gasp of air to fill my weak lungs. I got rid of all the evidence of me crying. I stayed in the car looking at my faint reflection in the windshield. I rub my elbows, feeling the scabs from when I once fell over. I can see my knees as I wear denim shorts, some scabs on my legs too, but the ones on my elbows seem to hurt more, but my wounds are nothing compared to what T-Dog has right now.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and step out of the small vehicle I was sitting in.

I manage to get some ammo and other bits and pieces that could come handy later. I got some more chewing gum and stuck a piece in my mouth and bit into the mint. I haven't had gum in a while, so to taste it was a joy, but it kind of hurt my tongue. I also found some aspirin and tampons. I shoved all the feminine products that I found into my knapsack. I decided that I will put them into my suitcase in the RV when I next go in there.

I now have a knapsack and a large rucksack full of things that could be needed.

I got into the next car, having to yank a dead body out of the car. I held my breath as I done so, not wanting to inhale the bad smell of corpse. When the body flops onto the road, I stare at it. Rotting, bones clearly visible under the grey skin, dead eyes staring at the sun.

I may need to kill walkers to survive, but I will never kill a human.

That is what I promise to myself, no matter what the circumstances are, I will never kill a living human. The walkers are okay, as they are already dead, but never a human. I can't kill a living breathing person. I will live with all the guilt and that is something I am incapable of doing.

I take everything from that car, most of the stuff in their were the same in the rest of the cars. When I exit the car I can see Carl by Lori and Shane who is doing something to a car. Carl has a hatchet in his hands, smiling at the weapon. Lori has an angry look on her face, the short that makes my hair stick up.

"Hey, man, go give them all to Dale now. Go." Shane commands him. Carl look disappointed and upset that his role model said such a thing to him. Lori hands him the arsenal of weapons that Carl had found and makes his way to Dale.

As he walks to him, I run up to him and cut him off.

"You alright?" I ask him, knowing I need to brighten his spirits.

"Yeah." he mumbles, obviously not the truth as he says it with sadness, staring at the ground.

"I know it isn't much, but…" I go into my knapsack, knowing that I found a small pack of sweets in one of the cars. I hand it to him and he accepts it gratefully.

"Thank you." he says, a smile on his face.

"Don't eat them with people around." I think of what else I could give the boy. "I have something else, but first I need to find it." He nods his head excitedly. "Go and give them to Dale and I'll find you when I get the surprise."

He then joyfully walks off with the arsenal of weapons to hand them to Dale. I do know what to get him, I found a pocket knife in one of the cars, but didn't want to take it as I already had one. It looked exactly like mine too, guess Carl can have it now. I remember the car, so I start jogging to the car at a slow pace. I find it in the car almost immediately and hide it in my back pocket, not wanting Lori to see it.

I run over to Carl and he looks up at me with a cheeky grin. I reach down to my back pocket and take out the knife. He then takes it out of my hands. I then take out mine.

"Look, we're twins." I say. He gives a short burst of laughter at what I said. I continue to smile at him.

Then, I hear something. A sound of a radio. I turn around and see that the noise is coming from a car that Lori and Shane stand by. I start to jog to the car to hear what it it saying, with Carl behind me.

"Is that a local signal?" Glenn asks.

"It's gotta be within fifty miles of here." Dale states. Everyone has gathered around, except T-Dog as he is resting.

_Avoid anyone infected at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way._

I scoff. Help is on the way? Not likely.

_The emergency alert system has been activated. The Office of Civil Defence-_

The radio is then abruptly turned off by Shane. "Asshole." he mutters. "Okay, let's get back to work." he says, gently hitting the car that he was leaning on.

We all the depart, but I follow Glenn. I want to speak to him some more as I have had enough of searching through cars. I think of words to say, maybe something funny? Maybe a question? Ask him how he is doing?

"You alright?" I ask him.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Guess I am worried."

"About Sophia? Me too."

"I'm worried about Sophia. And I am worried about you."

"Glenn…I am not going to try to commit suicide again. Pinky promise."

He chuckles. I hold out my pinky finger and he looks at it. "Promise?"

"I promise."

He takes his pinky finger out and hooks it to mine. "Good.

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